Against All Odds
by Valkyriexx
Summary: After the arrival of a new Knight in Camelot, Merlin suddenly finds himself alone and afraid. Frightened and in the hands of some of the most brutal men alive, he must find it within himself to trust again if he's going to survive. And maybe, just maybe, he'll find what he's been missing along the way. No slash! Reveal!fic Merlin!Whump. I don't own Merlin.
1. Prologue

**So, here is the prologue of my new story, Against All Odds. Just like all my other prologues, it's very short, but it's the set up for the rest of the story.**

**By popular demand, it **_**is **_**the Captured by Slaves plotline, featuring Lucy, my OC from Rules are Made to Be Broken. **

**Please let me know what you think!**

**XxX**

**Prologue**

When it happened, it wasn't the flashy, heroic reveal Merlin had sometimes imagined it would be. Actually, the situation itself had been rather implicating.

Following the invasion a year before, Merlin had taken to checking and reinforcing the siege tunnels beneath the citadel, even more so after Arthur had decided to welcome Mordred into the city. Mordred may be claiming to have no recollection of his encounters with Morgana, but Merlin didn't believe or trust him. Morgana had a spy in Camelot. If it wasn't Mordred, then it was someone else, and they would be trying to bring Arthur down from the inside. And it was Merlin's job to make sure that didn't happen.

Mordred had been looking particularly smug all day, setting Merlin's nerves on edge. The younger man was planning something, and, whatever it was, it couldn't be good for Merlin, Arthur or Camelot. That's why he had gone down to the tunnels that particular night.

Normally, he didn't find anything, but that day, he did.

He should have realised it was a set-up. The crack was too convenient.

As his eyes flared gold and he held his hand over the crack, a shout echoed down the corridor.

'What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?'

And he spun round, his eyes still blazing gold, coming face to face with Arthur Pendragon.

**Xxx**

**So, as usual, **_**please**_** leave a review before you go. I will try and update quickly and regularly, but, since I've **_**finally**_** got a job, they may not be a quick as I would like. **

**TTFN**

**Valkyriexx**


	2. A Broken Bond

**I passed my AS's! Hope everyone else got the results they wanted, and good luck to those who don't have their results yet. **

**And now that worry is out of the way, here's the next chapter of Against All Odds. **

**Warning! Exceptionally sad. Sorry about that. **

**XxX**

**Chapter 1 **

Arthur threw Merlin straight in the dungeons, after he dragged him from the siege tunnels. The Warlock didn't try to struggle; it would be futile anyway. The King was in such a rage, there was no way, even _with _magic, that Merlin could escape.

Not that he wanted too.

He should have known. Mordred had even _warned _him that it was going to happen, but, like the idiot he was, he'd come to the wrong conclusion. He'd assumed Mordred was taunting him about an invasion on Camelot, and walked straight into their trap.

And now he, Arthur, and all those counting on him, were going to pay for his mistake.

He didn't know what Arthur was going to do to him. But, after seeing the hurt, anger and betrayal in his best friend's eyes, he could think of no punishment that could be worse.

XxX

Arthur paced in-front of Merlin, who was being held down by two guards. Gwaine was being restrained behind him by Leon and Percival as they watched the confrontation, shouting all sorts of threats at the King.

But Merlin said nothing.

He could see Mordred watching him from behind Arthur, the young man's face twisted into a smirk.

'What were you doing?'

He was too calm, Merlin thought. Far too calm. 'Since the Saxon invasion, I've been checking the secret passages into Camelot; to make sure they were secure. I was trying to protect you.'

Arthur paused in his pacing to stare at him. 'I saw you destroying the foundations of the castle.'

'No, I was trying...'

'I saw you!' Arthur bellowed and Merlin fell back against the guards, who released him, allowing him to slump against the floor. 'I _saw_ you cracking the foundations of the siege tunnels, _with magic_!'

A collective gasp echoed around the hall, and Gwaine fell silent behind him. Merlin closed his eyes, feeling tears beginning to prickle in the corners. 'I was using magic to heal...'

'So you admit it.'

'No point denying it,' Merlin whispered. 'You saw me with gold eyes. I just need you to believe me, Arthur. I wasn't doing any harm; I only wanted to help.'

The King stared at him, before issuing his order. 'Leave us.'

Nobody dared argue, but the guards gave Merlin an extra shove as they left. Merlin remained on the floor, painfully aware of what had happened last time someone Arthur cared about was in this position.

'Get up.'

Merlin staggered to his feet, being careful of his ribs where he'd already been punched by one of the guards after they'd come to collect him. They didn't feel bruised, but they still hurt. The King circled him, examining him.

'You claim you were trying to help me.'

'Yes.'

Arthur shook his head. 'You can't have been. You have magic; you've been practising magic right under my nose. You've betrayed my trust by using the very thing that took both my mother and my father from me. How could you do this to me, Merlin? You were my friend, _my brother_. How could you betray me?'

'I didn't...'

'Stop lying!' Merlin bit his lip as Arthur closed the gap between them, his face inches from his own. 'You _confessed _to practising magic in _my _Kingdom, which is against _my _laws! You can't worm your way out of it this time, Merlin. I saw you!'

'I was born this way!' Merlin snapped, before drawing back. Arthur stared at him. 'I... I don't know why. I mean, I thought I did, but now... I don't know why I have this power. But I do, and I've had it all my life.'

'Either way,' Arthur snarled, 'you've been lying to me. Whether it's now, or it's the last eight years, you've lied to your King. You've committed treason.'

Merlin blinked and felt a few stray tears sliding down his face. 'Arthur,' he whispered, his voice barely louder than a breath. 'Please listen to me.'

The King shook his head. 'I can't.'

The Warlock hung his head in defeat. He couldn't force Arthur to listen to him, and there was no way the King was going to hear his voice now.

'The penalty for treason is death.' Merlin kept his head bowed; he didn't want to look into his best friends eyes as he was forced to sentence him to the pyre. 'But I can't kill you. The last eight years may have been a lie to you, but they were real for me.'

'No...'

'You are hereby banished from Camelot. To return is to sentence yourself to death. You have until noon tomorrow.'

'No, Arthur, _please_,' Merlin pleaded, once again falling to his knees but Arthur didn't hear him. He gave Merlin one last cold stare before exiting the hall.

The double doors behind him burst open, but he didn't turn to see who it was until a pair of warm, comforting arms wrapped themselves around him.

Gaius was whispering something to him, but he couldn't hear what his guardian was saying. His mind had gone blank with shock. _Banished_. He _couldn't_ be banished. It was their destiny...

'What will I do now?' He whispered, and he felt Gaius tense against him.

'I don't know, my boy. I don't know.'

XxX

It was late by the time Merlin and Gaius had finished packing the last of his stuff into his bag. They sat together, eating one final meal, before Merlin shouldered his pack and they made their way down into the courtyard.

There was no point waiting till morning, Merlin argued. It would give him less time to get away from Camelot, and it would be wasting valuable time for no reason. After all, no one was going to come and say goodbye to him. Why would they?

He was a traitor.

It was with a heavy heart, that the young Warlock turned to give his guardian one final hug, pressing his face into the Physicians robes and taking a deep breath in an attempt to hold back his tears. Gaius was either having less luck or wasn't even trying; as they pulled apart, his tears were flowing freely down his cheeks.

'Please take care of yourself, Merlin,' he whispered, gripping his wards shoulder tightly. 'Find a quiet village or something and settle down.'

'You know quiet isn't my style,' Merlin smiled back sadly. 'I'll write once I've settled; let you know where I am.'

'Make sure you do.' And the stern look Gaius gave him was enough to make him laugh slightly.

'Good bye, Gaius.'

The Physician had no words left, instead choosing to wrap his arms around his ward, his son, one last time, before Merlin turned and began walking away from Camelot for the last time.

He passed through the gates without any trouble and took the path heading North, in the opposite direction to Ealdor. As he reached the tree line, he paused on the road, gathering his thoughts, before he continued on.

He didn't look back.

XxX

Gaius didn't sleep that night.

He lay awake in bed for several hours, before he decided to get up, dress, and begin his preparations for the following day. Without Merlin around, it would take him nearly twice as long to get everything done, although he hadn't told the young man that. Merlin had been heartbroken enough without coping with the knowledge of the strain his absence would have on his surrogate father.

The sun was just rising when there was a tentative knock on the door, and it opened to reveal...

'Your highness,' Gaius acknowledged as Gwen entered with an entourage of several knights, namely Gwaine, Percival and Elyan. 'What can I do for you this morning?'

Gwen observed him for a moment, before her gaze flickered to Merlin's door. 'We... We came to say goodbye to Merlin.'

And Gaius' heart sank even further.

**XxX**

**And so this chapter ends, and another begins!.. When I get around to writing it ;) **

**Hope it wasn't too sad. We'll have a couple of chapter's addressing the aftermath of all this before getting into the real plotline, and introducing my OC, whose name I have decided to change. **

**Please leave a review! More reviews=faster updates. Once again, this isn't bribery; if it was, there would be cookies... Which there might be if you're nice enough. ;) **

**TTFN **

**Valkyriexx**


	3. Listen

**What's this? I'm **_**updating**_**? I am so, so, **_**so **_**sorry for the long wait, but I hope it's been worth it! **

**In this chapter, Arthur actually manages to stop and clear his head regarding Merlin's magic, and starts to make some connections. **

**Lots of Arthur/Gwen romance/hurt/comfort**

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

**Chapter 2**

Arthur barely glanced up from his desk as his wife re-entered their chambers.

She had left earlier that morning to say her goodbyes to Merlin before he left. Like him, she was having a hard time registering his betrayal. The last eight years had been real for her too, and she needed to talk to him before he disappeared from their lives forever. Whilst Arthur himself felt no inclination to ever see his treacherous servant ever again, to be reminded of his betrayal, he understood why Gwen had to see the sorcerer one last time.

She needed closure.

'Has he gone?'

'He's gone,' Gwen's voice was barely above a whisper, and Arthur looked up at his wife, taking in her puffy eyes and tear streaked cheeks.

'It was for the best, Gwen.' He stood, making his way over to where she stood, attempting to give her a hug, but Gwen pushed him away. Arthur shook his head. 'It was kinder.'

'It's not that...' She trailed off and the King frowned, not understanding her statement. 'Merlin was gone before we got there; he left during the night. He didn't think we were coming... He didn't think we cared.'

The realisation of what she was saying struck the King hard. 'You didn't get to say goodbye...'

And, despite the resentment and anger he felt towards his former manservant, Arthur couldn't help but pity the man who had lost everything. Gwen nodded and, this time, allowed Arthur to pull her close. All the King could do was hold his Queen while she wept.

XxX

It was like the whole of Camelot felt the absence of the servant.

All of the Knights were subdued during training that day, Gwaine more so than the rest. Even behind some well constructed masks, the King could make-out the tell-tale signs of guilt, remorse, anger and betrayal. The servants were skittish, and mis-trustful of each other. Merlin had been well-liked amongst most of the other employee's around the castle. To think that he was a traitor...

Arthur shook his head, and turned his mind back to the task at hand.

Despite what had happened yesterday, life in Camelot continued. It _had _to continue. Morgana was on the move once again; he had other priorities. It was his duty as a King and a leader.

From training, he held a Council meeting, Guinevere absent for the first time since their marriage. Throughout the meeting, the Lord's wisely kept their mouths shut about their Queen; it was evident to all present that their King was most definitely _not _in the mood to be answering accusing questions about his wife's whereabouts. Besides, it was clear to even the most obnoxious of men what the cause of her grievance was.

He had hoped that the meeting would have taken his mind off of Merlin, but it was not to be. Because the meeting, of course, _had _to be about _magic_. The one thing he did not want to discuss.

But the matter had to be addressed.

The previous night, a sorcerer had been found beneath the castle walls, tampering with the foundations upon which they so relied. A sorcerer who had been exceptionally close with, not just the King, but his Queen and personal Knights as well. They needed to establish what he had been doing and how long he'd been working against the Kingdom.

It was quickly agreed that the first thing that needed to be done was an evaluation of the site where Merlin had been discovered. Following that, the whole of the new siege tunnels would need to be expected. There was no point searching Merlin's room, but they sent a group of guards to perform the task anyway. They might find something. After that, whilst they waited for the guards to return from the passage and Gaius' chambers, they discussed a series of back-up plans should a similar situation arise. At least, the Lord's sat and discussed.

Arthur was desperately trying to pay attention to what they were saying, but the more they discussed magic, the more Arthur didn't want to hear it. He knew what had happened last night, he didn't need reminding. But the Lords continued to mull over the details, working out how they could prevent it from happening again.

The doors opening provided a welcoming relief for him, and he stood up to greet the guards entering, accompanying the stone mason they had employed to check the foundations.

'You have news?'

The mason nodded. 'I checked the foundations, as requested, my Lord, but...'

'But what?' Arthur felt dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. What had Merlin done?

The man shook his head. 'I cannot explain it, Sire. The foundations are... considering the sieges, I would have expected there to be some sort of damage or cracks, even with treatment.'

'But there isn't.'

'No, Sire,' he shook his head again. 'If anything, I'd say they were stronger than before.'

Arthur stared at him. 'How can that be? Unless Merlin didn't manage anything before I caught him...'

Lord Mayer's stood now, turning to the King. 'That's not possible, Sire.' Arthur narrowed his eyes at the man. Lord Mayer had never been particularly outspoken on magic; he had, in fact, defended several sorcerers in the past. That must be what he was doing now. 'Preventing the sorcerer from performing magic would account for the lack of extra damage, but this man performed a previous survey _after _the last siege. And he's saying that the foundations have been repaired.'

_I was using magic to heal..._

The King shook his head slightly, ridding himself of the unwanted thoughts. He couldn't think about that now. 'If the tunnels need no further work, then you are dismissed. Lord Mayer, see to it that he receives his payment.'

The Lord nodded, and bowed, before following the mason and his guard out of the council rooms. The rest of the Lords remained silent, watching Arthur, who was leaning against the back of his chair.

His head hurt.

Merlin had been telling the truth.

But before he could say anything else, the doors opened once again and a second group of guards entered, this time the men he'd sent to search Merlin's room. One of the guards was carrying a long, thin parcel, which he placed on the council table.

'This was all we found, my Lord. The physician said the sorcerer didn't want to take it with him; he left it here for protection.'

Arthur stared at it for a moment, before striding forward and unwrapping it.

It was a staff, beautifully carved and intricately designed, with a pulsing, glowing crystal perched on the top.

He barely registered the gasps of astonishment as he held it up to the light, examining every detail. He'd seen this somewhere before...

And then it all came back to him. Sophia! This had been hers! What had Merlin said?

_You eloped with her last night._

Arthur had been horrified, he remembered. Especially when the two had explained the rest.

_Well once I caught up with you, I couldn't persuade you to return. You were beyond reason. So I had to make you_.

_He only did it to bring you back safely._

Had that also been a lie? Maybe magic had been involved, and Gaius had covered for him. After all, he barely remembered anything that had happened during their time in Camelot.

'Bring Gaius to my chambers.' The guards bowed, and hurried away. Arthur turned to the Lords. 'This council meeting is over. I have other matters to attend too.'

'Of course, My Lord.'

Arthur remained where he was as the Lords filed out of the room, the glowing staff still clutched tightly in his hands.

XxX

When he entered their chambers, Gwen raised her head slightly from where she was laid on the bed. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her eyes were red and puffy. Her black, curly hair was slightly dishevelled.

Arthur took a moment to take in her appearance before he made his way over to the bed, dropping the staff on the floor, and lay down next to her. He reached around her, and gathered her up in his arms, pulling her close. Gwen shifted, allowing her head to rest against his arms, burying her face in the material of his tunic. Arthur rested his chin against her shoulder, and allowed his eyes to close. Slowly, he felt her body start to shake as her sobs increased, and all he could do was hold her close as his own tears began to slide down his face.

They remained like that for some time, before Gwen finally stirred, twisting round so she could see his face. Her own was streaked with her tears as she reached up to wipe his away.

'What happened?' Her voice was barely above a whispered, and he could hear more tears in his wife's voice.

'I had to have his room searched.'

'Oh god, Arthur... What did you find?'

He pulled away from her, getting to his feet, and went over to where the staff still lay.

'What is that?'

'It's a magical staff,' Arthur held it up so she could see it glowing. 'I think it may have belonged to a girl who came here years ago; Sophia.'

'Sophia?' Gwen's eyes went wide.

'You remember her?'

'Merlin was in the stocks for days because of her. You asked Uther if you could marry her.'

Arthur grimaced slightly. 'Yes, well,' Gwen laughed slightly at the look on his face. 'If that staff was in his possession, then the story they fed me doesn't add up. Gaius says that Merlin brought me back after knocking me out. There's no _reason _for him to have this.'

'So why does he have it then?'

'That's why I'm here.'

They both turned to see Gaius stood in the doorway. Neither of them had heard the door open.

'So you admit you lied?'

Gaius shrugged. 'I'm afraid that I've lied about a lot of things since Merlin arrived, Sire. It was the best way to protect him.'

'And the staff?'

The Physician came further into the room, closing the door behind him. Gwen slid off the bed, moving to sit down at their table, where both men joined her.

'Sophia and her father, Aulric, were Sidhe's.'

'She's?'

'No, Sidhe's. E,' Gaius spelt out, causing Arthur to frown. 'A Sidhe is a type of pixie, if you will. A fairy. They are the guardians of the lake of Avalon, and are immortal. You've both encountered them twice, in fact, you just don't know it, as they were disguised in human form.'

'So, what happened?'

Gaius leant forward. 'The Sidhe are cruel. They will stop at nothing to get their way. Only a Sidhe or Sidhe magic can kill another Sidhe, which is what happened with Aulric. He killed another of his kind, which resulted in himself and his daughter being expelled from the Lake Of Avalon. They became mortal, and human. But Aulric knew of a way to allow Sophia to rejoin her kind. And that's where you came in.'

Arthur covered Gwen's hand with this, as he indicated for Gaius to continue.

'For a banished Sidhe to be welcomed back, a Prince's soul must be sacrificed to the Lake Of Avalon. Sophia enchanted you to follow her no matter what; even after Aulric attacked Merlin and knocked him out in front of you. Sophia intended to drown you in the Lake Of Avalon, but Merlin took Aulric's staff, which was identical to Sophia's, and used it to destroy them both. He then pulled you from the Lake, and brought you back to Camelot.'

'Where you both proceeded to lie to me.'

'Well, what were we supposed to say?'

Arthur stared at the table for a moment, considering the question. Gaius did have a point; there's no way he would have accepted the truth from Merlin. 'You said there were two occasions?'

At this, Gaius smiled slightly. 'A story Merlin used to bring up at _least_ once a week. He enjoyed that a little too much for my liking.'

'What happened?'

'You remember Elena?' They both nodded, Arthur quickly schooling his own expression. 'She was a Changeling; a human with a Sidhe living inside of her. Grunhilda, her maidservant, was, in fact, a pixie. Between the two of us, we managed to defeat Grunhilda and expel the Sidhe from Elena's body. That's what brought about the sudden in Elena before the wedding; her... _behaviour _was caused by the Sidhe inhabiting her.'

Arthur just sat there stunned, but Gwen, ever perceptive... 'Why would Merlin enjoy that? I know Princess Elena wasn't the most pleasant of girls, but it wasn't _that_ amusing.'

Gaius coughed slightly, turning red. 'Well, Pixies do have _one _weakness. They are attracted to more... _distinguished _gentleman.'

At this, both Gwen and Arthur, despite the heartache and sadness they'd been feeling earlier, burst out laughing. 'Grunhilda _fancied _you?'

The Physician glared at them. 'Why are you suddenly interested in this? You've already made your decision regarding magic.'

Arthur immediately stopped laughing, suddenly noticing the tired, worried lines on Gaius' face. 'I guess... I want answers, Gaius. And, with Merlin gone, there's no one else to answer them.'

'You should have asked them before you sent him away. It's too late now, knowing this will not bring him back.'

At this, Arthur shrugged, glancing at his wife. A thought that had been playing on his mind all day shoved its way to the front of his mind again. This time, however, he voiced it. 'I don't know, Gaius. Maybe that isn't true. After all, banishments in this Kingdom don't tend to stick, do they?' H

**XxX**

**A bit scattered, but Arthur's beginning to put the pieces together! And he's already considering allowing Merlin to come back! **

**That may seem a bit quick for some, but, in my opinion, Arthur would be irrational the night before, and then put his head back on straight once he's calmed down a bit and begun to see where Merlin's magic has had an influence. **

**Next chapter: Merlin fleeing Camelot. **

**Back to college on Sunday, so, hopefully, I'll settle straight back into my old routine and be able to update more. This holiday has completely thrown my publishing schedule! **

**Please leave a review! What you liked, what you disliked, and what needs to be addressed in later chapters. Note: Merlin leaving the staff behind WILL be explained in the next chapter. **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	4. The Long Road Home

**It's short! I know it's short! Please forgive me, but it's the build up to the next chapter, that WILL be posted on Saturday night. **

**Hope some questions about Merlin are answered in this chapter. A bit of angst on poor Merlin's part, but that's too be expected. **

**Enjoy!**

**XxX**

**The Long Road Home **

Merlin trudged slowly down the path, barely able to find the strength to put one foot in front of the other.

He'd been walking for three days straight, barely stopping to eat or sleep, desperate to get away from Camelot as quickly as he could. There was no doubt in his mind that, should Camelot's patrol catch-up with him, he wouldn't make it out alive.

Merlin shivered slightly against the bitter wind, and pulled his thin cloak tighter around his slight frame. The worst of the winter had passed, but there was still a deep chill in the air as he made his way steadily north. By his calculations, he would reach the border of Mercia by noon tomorrow. Although not a close ally of Camelot, Mercia wasn't an enemy either. Arthur and his Knights would have no reason to pass through the Kingdom; Merlin would be safe.

Well, as safe as an all-powerful Warlock could be in a world that was rather _against_ magic.

As he looked up, he felt the first drops of water begin to trickle down his face. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and pretended that it was tears trickling down his face. Pretended, for a moment, that he still had some left to shed. But then the strength of the rain began to increase, and Merlin was forced to stop and take shelter in a maze of overgrown roots that shielded him, mostly, from the elements.

The space was larger than it looked from the outside, and he managed to shrug off his drenched cloak, instead choosing to curl up under his thin blanket, watching the rain pounding into the ground in front of him. He was going nowhere tonight, so he may as well get as much rest as possible and make for the boarder first thing tomorrow.

With the sky growing ever darker, Merlin's mind began to drift back to the previous few days, his brain still attempting to process everything that had happened since Arthur had discovered him in the tunnels that night.

How could he have been so stupid? _Of course_ the whole thing had been a trick; he had _known_ that when he went down there. And yet, he had still underestimated Morded. He had been expecting to find some clever, hidden, magical trap, set to bring the foundations crumbling down around them when he began to investigate. He hadn't seen how simple the whole affair had been. Because, really, it had been simple.

Mordred told him the place to be, and had waited for him to enter the siege tunnels. The Knight had then informed the King that there was a sorcerer beneath the foundations, tampering with the citadel's structure. All he had to do was wait; Merlin and Arthur had done the rest of it themselves.

And now Merlin had been driven from Camelot, by his own loyalty and his own stupidity.

He'd barely been in the cells an hour when Arthur had summoned him before the court, and delivered his sentence without waiting to hear an explanation. Afterwards, he'd returned with Gaius to their chambers, and he'd collected all his stuff together, before carefully placing a spell on his staff and hidden it beneath the floor boards. The spell would allow his staff to help Camelot withstand magical attacks. It wouldn't keep Morgana out indefinitely, but it would certainly help.

Unless, of course, Arthur found it and had it destroyed.

Then there really would be nothing else he could do for Camelot. He just had to hope that, one day, the King would open his eyes to the truth about magic and maybe, one day, he would be allowed to return home. But until then, he would just have to wait.

He seemed to do a lot of that.

Waiting...

XxX

The first rays of sunlight danced across his face as his eyes blinked open. He hadn't even realised he'd fallen asleep.

At least it had stopped raining.

As Merlin extracted himself from the hole beneath the tree, he looked around himself. The forest seemed quieter this morning; almost peaceful. Sort of ironic, really, Merlin thought as he retrieved his bag and cloak from the cave. The cloak was still damp, but he didn't care as he swung it over his shoulders, the material drying instantly with a flash of his eyes.

He ate quickly, just enough to keep him going throughout the rest of the day; he wasn't sure he could manage anything else.

As he trudged down the path, his thoughts once again returned to Camelot.

How was everyone fairing? Was Gaius alright after covering for him for eight years? Could Gwaine or Elyan, or even Leon and Percival begun to forgive him for what he'd done? Had Arthur even begun to realise how much truth he had told him that night? And what of dear, sweet Gwen? How would she been handling the revelation of his magic?

So wrapped up in his own thoughts, Merlin barely noticed when he crossed the border into Mercia several hours later.

And he didn't hear the footsteps drawing ever closer behind him.

A hand grasped his face, whilst another secured his chest. A second set of hands clasped cold metal to his skin, metal that immediately drained all the energy from him, leaving him feeling cold and heavy.

The hands let go of his body, and Merlin pitched forward, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

**XxX**

**Dun dun dunnn! **

**Why are we so mean to poor Merlin? Oh well, the actual plot begins in the next chapter!**

**As always, please leave a review! What you liked, what you disliked, theories or requests for the next chapters... I'm always open to new ideas! **

**See you Saturday! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	5. Welcome To Hell

**What is this? An update? But it's not Saturday! **

**I know, but I've been so overwhelmed by your amazing responses and reviews, that I felt inspired to write and write until this chapter was done! **

**I hope some questions are answered in this chapter. There's a bit of Arthur, Gwen and Gaius, a bit of Morgana and Mordred (well guessed ReadingRaven019) and then, of course, what's happened to Merlin! **

**Just a quick explanation, I will be doing the occasional scene with Arthur and Gwen, because it will eventually lead into the main storyline of what Merlin's going through. So, hopefully, that will all eventually make sense. **

**Enjoy! **

**Welcome To Hell**

Welcome To Hell 

Arthur strode briskly down the corridor, making his way up to Gaius' chambers where his wife and the Physician were waiting for him. They had spent the past two evenings swapping stories about Merlin, and using their newly acquired knowledge to work out what had really been going on during the last eight years.

As it turned out, although he knew a lot, there were things that Gaius didn't know, as he had explained to them on the first night. The further back into Merlin's past they went, the more the Physician knew, but it seemed that the older Merlin got, the less he confided in his Guardian.

Especially after Gaius had been kidnapped for information about Merlin.

Following the tales of the Sidhe, that had been the next story Gaius had told. Arthur had felt even worse upon hearing this; his still felt guilty for doubting the old man the first time. Hearing that his Uncle, who he had believed over his surrogate father, had been behind the whole affair in the first place, had brought back the feeling of betrayal left behind by Agravaine.

They had left it there for the night.

The next night, Gaius had told of them the stories of how Uther, Agravaine and Lancelot had truly died; the truth about Gwen and Lancelot's midnight meeting had come out at the same time. Merlin had found the bracelet not long after their return to Camelot and put the pieces together.

Here, even more tears had been she, by both King and Queen as he apologised over and over for not believing her. She'd tried to dismiss them though; they'd both been at fault over what had happened. What mattered was that they were together again.

Thanks to Merlin.

Once again, they had been forced to end their session for the night as other duties took priority.

But tonight...

Tonight Gaius had promised them a story that would leave them both speechless.

Arthur pushed open the door to Gaius' chambers, smiling when he saw Gwen already sat there, sipping at a herbal tea. Gaius wasn't present, so he entered quietly, moving to slip his arm around his Queens' shoulders. She sighed contentedly, leaning back to rest against his arm.

'I'm sorry, would you like some privacy?'

Arthur chuckled slightly as he turned to look at Gaius. 'You had something you wished to tell us?'

Gaius nodded, before making his way over to his cupboard and, after some rummaging around, withdrew a battered old box, and placed it on the bench in front of the King.

'There are many things you must know, many important things. Considering what I have already told you, Arthur, this seems to be the most important right now.'

Arthur frowned, glancing at the box, before opening it. Inside was a ragged cloth, wrapped carefully around what appeared to be a goblet.

As he lifted it out, Gaius looked at it sadly. 'Three years we have kept that safe; it's already brought so much pain to this Kingdom, so much destruction. The Druids entrusted it to Merlin, a man they knew would certainly keep it well-hidden.'

The King pushed back the cloth and gasped. 'This is the...'

'The Cup Of Life,' Gaius nodded. 'He took it after we reclaimed Camelot from Morgana and Morgause. We hid it where none would even think to look for it; however, with Merlin gone, it would be better off in the Vaults beneath Camelot, hidden deep amongst the relics.'

Arthur turned the heavy chalice in his hand, examining it. There was a dent in the side, a dent that hadn't been there the last time he held it.

'What happened?'

Gaius sat down opposite the couple. 'Again this Cup has been involved in your life more times than you know; I believe that particular item has had a significant impact on _you _specifically no less than three times.'

And with that, Gaius launched into yet another tale, this one spinning itself around Merlin and the witch Nimueh. He spoke of sacrifices and betrayal, and a young man so loyal, he was willing to die to save his king.

They were so engrossed in Gaius' story none of them heard the footsteps of the young Knight retreating to the stairwell.

XxX

Morgana stood quietly amongst the trees, her dark hood obscuring most of her face.

At the sound of hoof beats, she stepped further into the shadows, watching as a red cloaked figure made their way confidently into the clearing. As soon as his back was to her, she was upon him, pressing a blade to his throat.

'You ought to be more careful, Mordred. Not all will be as courteous as I.'

'I could say the same thing to you, My Lady.'

A slight pressure against her stomach caused her to glance down, and Morgana barely saw the tip of the dagger against her dress, concealed by his cloak. She withdrew her blade, as did he.

'Well played.'

'And yourself.' Mordred turned, smiling slightly. 'It's good to see you, Morgana.'

She allowed him a small smile in return, before it vanished. 'You have news for me?'

'Indeed,' he took a step back, so he could see her properly in the gloom. 'The plan worked. Emrys is gone from Camelot; he left four days ago.'

Morgana nodded her approval, before frowning. 'You appear dissatisfied. Arthur has banished his protector, leaving Camelot exposed to an attack. What could possibly be wrong?'

'The King is changing his mind.'

Her breath caught and her eyes narrowed. 'He cannot! That was not the plan; he was never to forgive Emrys for what he has done.'

'Do not fret, my lady.' At this, she noticed the evil glint in his eyes for the first time. 'Even if our _beloved _King forgives him, he shall never return to Camelot. I have made sure of that.'

'What did you do?'

'I have been following his progress away from Camelot, and, I must say, there has been a rather unexpected development.' He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. 'Trust me, My Lady. King Arthur will never find his Warlock. As for Emrys himself? I believe he will live for a while yet. But when the time comes for him to finally die, he shall wish he'd never been born. Our friends will see to that.'

XxX

A sharp pain to the back of his head wrenched him from the darkness.

Still dazed, and more than a little confused and scared, Merlin warily opened his eyes. He immediately jerked backwards, away from the grimy, foul face that was far too close for his liking. To his horror, his back slammed into a tree and, for the first time, he realised he was bound to the trunk and he couldn't get away.

'You sure 'e's the right one?' The man in front of him snarled.

'He's the right one,' a voice from behind the man called.

'How can you tell? Looks like nothin' more than a whelp to me!'

'Hey!' Somebody grabbed the man and threw him backwards. This man was less grotesque, his face mostly hidden by a mop of unruly red hair. 'The boss is payin' us to grab sorcerers. You saw the way he reacted to the cuffs we tried on him. To tell you the truth, I couldn't care less if he's the right type, I just want my money. So you keep your trap shut cause I'm done listenin' to you whine! Get it?'

The first man glared at the second as he approached Merlin, grasping his face between his fingers.

'Doesn't matter anyway. As long as we get a good deal for him, I'll rest easy.'

Merlin jerked his head away and spat at his captor. He was backhanded very swiftly across the side of his face but continued to glare at the man angrily.

The man wiped his hand across the back of his trousers as he stood.

'Knock him out again, Sludge. I can't be bothered with his antics. The sooner we get back to base, the sooner we throw him in with the rest and we get out money.'

Sludge grabbed a handkerchief from beside a pack, striding over to where Merlin was bound. His mind was still hazy from the first time they'd drugged him, but still he fought as the revolting man gripped his hair.

'This won't hurt... much.'

He could feel whatever compound it was stinging his nose and his eyes began to water, before they finally drooped closed and he fell back into the abyss.

XxX

The next time he woke, it was dark. A soft flickering to his left indicated a fire, so he could assume he was in a camp somewhere.

A soft clatter behind him made him jump, and he tried to turn to see what it was, but found he couldn't move as his arms were chained above his head. The rattle of the metal must have alerted his captors, who were suddenly gathered around him.

'Sludge was right; he don't look like much.'

'Would you want to if you were a sorcerer? If Casper says he's a sorcerer, I believe him. Still, wouldn't hurt to check, would it?'

The man, who appeared to be the leader, crouched down in front of Merlin.

'Well, it won't hurt _us_ to find out a bit more about you, eh, sorcerer?'

'I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I was you,' Merlin snarled. The leader laughed.

'He's got some fight in him. I reckon he might even last longer than Eidwick did.'

Again the men laughed, and Merlin couldn't help but shudder at the threatening sound. He heard the sound of metal on metal and he flinched...

_His eyes focused on the hilt of the blade, not daring to look up as his best friend pressed the sharpened edge into his skin_.

'Ah!' He couldn't help but cry out as he felt the blade slash against his arm. Immediately, he could tell that the wound wasn't deep, but inflicted with the intention of causing pain without much damage.

Like a parchment cut.

'Now, now, not yet.' Merlin opened his eyes, glaring at his captors as the leader unbound his hands and dragged him to his feet. 'We don't want to damage him before we've even started. As long as we keep those cuffs on him, he won't give us any trouble. He can wait till we get back to the castle. Lock him up!'

Sludge and Casper were the ones to grab him, Sludge deliberately applying pressure to his wounded arm. He hissed in pain, and deliberately trod on the bandits foot. Sludge yelped and made to smack him, but Casper grabbed his arm.

'Mitchell has spoken, Sludge. Don't land yourself in anymore trouble, or you're the one they'll be selling in the next city!'

Sludge snarled slightly, but lowered his hand, choosing, instead to drag Merlin further forward.

As they spun him round, Merlin realised what it was that he had been tied to, and couldn't help but gag slightly.

Cages. Five or six of them, all tied together, all covered by dark, thick clothes. But he didn't need to look inside to know what they were.

_Slave Traders. _

Casper wrenched the door open, and Sludge threw him in, where he landed awkwardly on a thin blanket of hay. The door slammed shut behind him, the lock clicking.

He pushed himself to his knees, glancing around himself. A movement in the corner caught his attention.

'Whose there?'

She emerged slowly, her blonde hair falling over her face as she made her way out of the shadows. Merlin's breath caught in his throat. Even through the blood and the dirt, he could tell she was beautiful. She looked him over, her eyes wary and Merlin noticed that she was shivering. Of course she was, the tunic and trousers she was wearing were hardly thick enough for this chilly weather.

'Are you cold?'

She jumped as he reached out for her, her eyes flickering to his hand.

'It's alright.' He shrugged off his cotton jacket, handing it too her. She took it tentatively, wrapping it slowly around herself. 'I'm Merlin.'

She nodded her head, but made no gesture to reciprocate his gesture, so he tried something different.

'Can you tell me where we are?'

And she smiled. Not a cheery smile, but a cold, sad, resigned smile.

'Hell,' she replied. 'Welcome to hell.'

**XxX**

**And there we have it! **

**The next chapter will be, exclusively, Merlin and their arrival at this mysterious castle. And, yes, **_**that **_**update will be on Saturday, instead of this one. **

**Once again, please leave a review! You've seen the effect it can have, so you have even more reason to leave me a small message. Please? ; ) **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	6. The Rising Darkness

**I'm so sorry! It's been such a hectic weekend, and me and my laptop have once again had a disagreement. But it's only a day late! **

**Warnings for not-so-graphic torture in this chapter, but it **_**is**_** the start of some not very nice scenes.**

**However, it is also the start of something very special for our young Warlock. **

**Enjoy!**

**XxX**

**The Rising Darkness**

The cart stuttered slightly as the hit a bump in the road. Merlin stretched out his hand, steadying himself against the bars, but the girl barely moved from her spot on the other side of the cage. She hadn't said a word since he'd been thrown in, and they must have been travelling most of the night.

He'd made several attempts at starting a conversation, and every time he'd spoken he could tell she was listening intently, but she shied away from his questions. She seemed terrified of speaking, though, that _was _understandable. After all, he had no idea how long she had been a prisoner in this hell hole.

As the cart settled back into a semi-steady rhythm through the forest, Merlin slumped backwards allowing his arm to rest on his knee.

'Do you know where they are taking us?'

She shook her head, her fingers playing with a loose thread on her tunic.

'Have they had you long?'

She shrugged her shoulders, looking up at him sadly. Merlin felt his breath catch. She didn't know how long she had been here...

They lapsed into silence once again, Merlin's mind being bombarded with dark thoughts.

His captors had been awfully excited at the prospect of capturing a sorcerer. _Well, Warlock, _Merlin thought grimly, not that it was going to make a blind bit of difference to the slave traders. But what on earth could they want with him? They'd been forced to contain his magic in order to capture him in the first place, and they must know what he would do to them should they ever take the cuffs off him.

What if they were taking him back to Arthur? Everyone knew the Pendragons paid a lot of money for captured sorcerers... What would the King do to him, should he be returned to Camelot under duress?

The Warlock couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine at the thought, and curled in tighter on himself, resting his head against the bars.

Eventually, his eyes drifted closed and he slipped into an uneasy slumber.

XxX

Merlin was thrown forward as the cart jerked to a halt, his mind reeling as he tried to shake the sleepy fog from his mind. He blinked feebly, as he heard a soft gasp and managed to focus on the girl, who was backed up against the bars, looking terrified.

He was on his knees in an instant, reaching out his hand to her.

'Are you alright?'

She glanced down at his wrist before shrinking further away from him, shaking his head. Confused, Merlin glanced down and noticed the iron cuffs that encased his wrists.

Iron cuffs that kept magic at bay.

The realisation of what was happening washed over him, and he looked at the girl again, this time understanding her look of fear. Around him, he could hear the slavers yelling, but he ignored them. She wasn't scared of them at the moment; at least, not nearly as much as she was scared of him.

'Please...' he whispered, holding out his hand. 'Please don't be afraid of me...'

The cage door slammed open, and he whirled round as Casper seized his arms, hauling him from the prison.

'Let go of me!'

Casper laughed as he dragged Merlin through the mud. 'Feisty one, ain't you?'

Merlin kicked his feet out when he heard a soft cry, and he glanced backwards to see the girl slung over Sludge's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

'Leave her alone!'

Casper grabbed his hair, yanking his head backwards. 'You keep your mouth shut!' he snarled before shoving his head forward again. Merlin let out a grunt of pain, but fixed Casper with a glare that would rival even the Kings'.

'Give him here, Casper.'

Both men looked round to see the leader, Mitchell, approaching them.

'I'll take him from here.'

The mercenary faltered, obviously unwilling to give up his prize, but, eventually, he shoved the warlock in the direction of his leader, before storming off to grab another captured slave from a cage.

Mitchell gripped Merlin's face, forcing him to look directly into his cold, black eyes.

'I think we're going to have a lot of fun breaking you,' he smiled, baring his rotten, yellow teeth, and Merlin felt the fear pooling in his stomach.

The man hauled him to his feet, twisting him so he was forced to face the ruins ahead of them. The walls were crumbling, and it looked unsafe and abandoned, but Mitchell didn't seem to care as he pushed Merlin forward, towards a different door than the one the others were heading for.

The last thing that Merlin saw before the barrier fell was the girls' terrified blue eyes watching him as he was led away.

XxX

The room they threw him in was large, but dark. Merlin's head slammed against the floor, and he grunted, rolling to his knees as the door slammed shut behind him.

He let out a frustrated growl, staggering to his feet and lunging for the door. Before he could reach for the handle, he felt a hand wrap around his collar and he was wrenched backwards. With a cry, he once again hit the floor, this time landing flat on his back, and remaining on the floor, a deranged laugh filling the hall.

'How the mighty have fallen!'

Merlin groaned slightly, pushing himself up, into a sitting position to face his captor.

The man was shrouded in a black cloak, his face shadowed by the hood. He carried a long, dark staff, and Merlin, even with his own magic suppressed, could almost feel the power radiating off this man.

A sorcerer.

'Who are you?'

He pushed his hood back dramatically, revealing an old, deeply scarred face. He looked down on Merlin expectantly, who raised an eyebrow at him.

'Was that supposed to be impressive?'

The man snarled at him, advancing on the fallen Warlock. 'You would do well to mind your tongue, boy.'

'Do you have an idea who I am?' Merlin snapped, pushing himself up. 'There is nothing you can do to me that hasn't already been done. You want to break me? You cannot break that which is already broken!'

'We'll see about that!' The man grabbed Merlin by the throat, lifting him off of his feet. Merlin gripped his arm, trying to free his grip, but he was ignored as he was dragged into the centre of the room. 'You think I _don't_ know who you are, Emrys?' Merlin's eyes widened, and the man laughed. 'Oh yes, I was told exactly where to find you. It was I who sent those bumbling idiots out to _search _for you, and I must say, they did a grand job.

'You think the Pendragon broke you went he cast you from Camelot? Trust me, _Emrys, _that is nothing compared to what _I'm_ going to do to you.'

Chains shot down from the roof, engulfing his already bound wrists, and drawing him up towards the ceiling, hanging him just above the ground. He let out a gasp of pain as the muscles in his shoulders screamed from having his full weight suspended from them.

The sorcerer laughed, flinging off his cloak in a massive sweep, and swinging his staff to aim it at Merlin's throat. 'This is going to be fun. I have been practising, specifically for this moment.'

'Doesn't seem like a fair fight,' Merlin gasped. 'Why don't you let me out of these chains, and then we'll see who the _real_ sorcerer is?'

The sorcerer let out a howl that rang in Merlin's ears. 'You really think I'm that stupid? Your witty words and sarcastic comebacks may have worked on weaker minded fools than myself, but I know what you will do to me should you ever get free, Emrys.

'And I'm not going to make it that easy,' he whispered in Merlin's ear, before swiping his hand across Merlin's chest. His tunic fell away, still intact, and Merlin raised an eyebrow at the man.

'Wow, lovely little trick. That was _very _clever. So, are we done?'

The man smirked, leaning down and picking up something from the floor. Merlin's blood went cold as he watched the whip uncurl in the man's hand. 'No. I don't think we are.'

The whip climbed slowly, pausing high above the man's head. Merlin's eyes followed it, sweat already forming on his brow.

_Crack_!

And Merlin screamed.

XxX

They were forced to support the young Warlock as they pulled him through the corridor, not caring about his torn and bloodied back. A door clanged open, and Merlin simply fell to the floor, unable to find the strength to stand. His tunic was tossed in over the top of his back, and the door slammed shut, a key clicking in the lock.

Still, Merlin didn't move.

His entire back felt like it was on fire, his limbs aching and heavy. His breath was coming out in short, sharp gasps, as he tried to calm himself.

A hand brushed against his back, and he jerked away, yelping in pain as he jolted his back.

It was the girl.

She was crouched in front of him, holding a cloth obviously torn from her tunic, and a small bowl of water. She held out the cloth to him, as if to show him what it was. He stared at her, not understanding.

'You... what are you doing? Why aren't you afraid of me?'

She licked her lips, and glanced away, her gaze falling on shackles on his wrists. Merlin followed her gaze, and moved his arm back, hiding it from her sight. Again, she moved forward, grasping the rag tightly. There was a hard look in her eyes, a determination.

'You want to help me?'

She smiled, nodding. Still, he stared at her, not quite believing what she was implying. She, in turn, rolled her eyes slightly, and reached around him, tending to his back. He shifted so that she could reach better and she continued to wipe away the blood gently from his back.

Merlin looked round at her, and saw a tear sliding gently down her face. He couldn't help himself when he reached up to wipe it away, and she jumped slightly at the contact, their eyes meeting.

'I'm Merlin,' he smiled.

She laughed slightly, and Merlin remembered that he'd already introduced himself. She just hadn't replied, just like she wasn't going to...

'Iyla.' Merlin's eyes shot up again, and she gave him a warm smile. 'My name is Iyla.'

**XxX**

**Not the best thing I've ever written, but oh well! **

**From Hollyblue2: Iyla means Moonlight. Recently, in fanfiction, there have been a lot of references to Arthur and Merlin as the Sun and Moon, with Merlin being the latter. Kind of fits that she would be **_**Moonlight**_**.**

**Leave a review! I'm sorry if I didn't reply to your review from the last chapter, I managed to lose track. But, I will reply this chapter, which is an even **_**bigger **_**incentive to leave a review!**

**Next update on Saturday "fingers crossed"... btw... HOW AMAZING WAS DOCTOR WHO? With Mr Weasley, Argus Filch and Inspector Lestrade! Can't WAIT for next weeks!**

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	7. Iyla

**This ones on time! Yay! On the downside... It's not very long. **

**This is basically an introduction of who Iyla is, and her background so we can get to the good stuff **

**And before anyone says 'he's falling for her too fast', how quickly did Merlin and Freya fall in love? And Iyla's been alone for a very long time... **

**Enough rambling! **

**On with the chapter! **

**XxX**

Iyla

They sat in silence for some time, Merlin wincing slightly every time Iyla moved to a new patch of broken skin, gently wiping away the crusted blood there. The throbbing pain was still there, but it was numbed slightly by the water that slowly down his aching back. It wasn't as refreshing as fresh, cool water would have been, but Merlin was already beginning to feel slightly better.

A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he jumped when he realised she was reaching for his face. Merlin made to shuffle backwards, but gasped as he jolted his back. She glared at him, and reached forward, gently dabbing her cloth at the cut on the side of his head. It wasn't particularly long or deep, but head wounds bled a lot. He watched as her gaze focused a little to the left of his eyes, unable to wrench his own from her deep brown irises.

'Why are you helping me?'

She flinched at his question, her eyes flickering to his. 'You helped me. You didn't even know who I was, but you cared. In places, like this, it's normally every man for himself, yet you still tried to defend me. And, right now, you look like you could use a friend.'

'I'm a sorcerer.'

'I'd noticed,' she shrugged. He continued to stare at her, and she sighed. 'When I was two, my father was executed by King Uther for sorcery. I never found out the truth, but, to this day, my mother denies that he had any involvement with magic; that the magic took him from us. She feared that King Uther would execute us all for conspiracy, and he probably would have, if not for a friend of my father's. Although he'd been unable to save him, he'd promised to look after us. The man smuggled us out of Camelot, and we made for Caerleon's Kingdom; my mother, myself and my two brothers. We were lucky.'

'I'm sorry.'

Iyla shook her head, and placed the cloth in the bowl, before helping him drag his tunic over his back, and then moving to sit down next to him. 'It was a long time ago. But ever since, we've always avoided magic. Caerleon left us alone; he had no interest in what his people were doing as long as there was enough food to go around, and we paid our taxes. We were peaceful. That is, until King Caerleon died.'

At this, Merlin couldn't help but shudder slightly. He remembered that day clearly.

'My brothers were called away to war; Queen Annis wanted revenge for what King Arthur had done to her husband, and my brothers wanted revenge for the murder of our father. My mother begged them not to go; we both knew that they would never return. They were farmers not soldiers. But still they went...'

'I was there,' Merlin whispered, under his breath.

Her head shot up. 'You were? What happened?'

He stared at her. 'You don't know?'

Iyla shook her head. 'It was while they my brothers were away at war that the slavers came. My mother and I ran. I think we ran for several months, before we decided to return home. That's when they grabbed me.'

Merlin bit his lip. 'You never found out if your brothers survived.'

'No.'

'They survived.'

He heard her gasp, and she slid backwards on the floor, shaking her head. 'You can't know! How could you possibly know what happened, even if...'

'No one died.'

She stared at him. 'What?'

'King Arthur settled the battle with a duel; one to one combat. No blood was shed; he spared his opponent. Your brothers would have returned home safely, of that I'm sure.'

Iyla's breath hitched and Merlin, despite his throbbing back, moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

'Are you alright?'

'They survived?' she whispered. He nodded, and with that, the dam broke. She sobbed, burying her head into his chest. Merlin hesitated, slightly stunned by her reaction, and slowly closed his arms around her shoulders, drawing her into an embrace. She shifted slightly, and Merlin thought that she was going to try to withdraw, until she pressed her face against the thin fabric of his tunic, drawing in a shuddering breath. 'Thank you,' she sighed.

XxX

Eventually, Iyla drew back, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand.

'I'm sorry.'

He smiled gently at her. 'It's alright. I'm glad I could give you some good news in a place like this.'

She nodded. 'Thank you. Just knowing that they survived... how long ago was this?'

'About a year and a half.'

'That would mean I've been here a year...' she whispered, again bringing up her hand to wipe the tears in her eyes away. 'Do you think they'll have been looking for me?'

'I'm sure of it.'

Iyla laughed gently. 'A silly question I know.' She turned to face him properly. 'What about you? Do you have anyone who would be looking for you?'

Merlin turned away. 'No.'

'I'm sorry... I didn't mean.'

He waved his hand, dismissing her comment. 'It's fine; you didn't know. I was cast from my home after my... my friends found out what I can do. I lost everything. I was heading for Mercia when the slave traders caught up with me. No one knew I was there, and, even if they did, Gaius is the only one who would care enough to do something, but he's not strong enough to come after me anymore.'

She bit her lip, glancing away before looking back to him. 'Maybe we could get a message to someone. You said you knew the Knights of Camelot! I'm sure they'd come...'

'They won't,' he shook his head. 'The Knights hold no love for sorcerers; even Sir Gwaine probably wouldn't come if he knew I was captured. No, there's no one out there who would race to my rescue, otherwise they would have at least said goodbye to me before I left Camelot. I'm alone.'

Iyla watched him, as he picked at his sleeve. 'No.' Merlin looked up, frowning. 'No, you're not alone. Not anymore.'

'Yes, I am, Iyla.'

She shook her head. 'Don't you get it? You have me now. We can do this together. Like friends should. What do you say?' She stuck out her hand. 'Friends?'

Merlin smiled, and took it. 'Friends.'

XxX

They agreed that the best idea would be to sleep after their newly found companionship. They had no idea what time it was; the cell was dark with no windows, just a single torch lighting the passageway outside, and casting dark shadows across the room.

Iyla had removed Merlin's jacket, using it as a blanket to curl up under, before resting her head against Merlin's shoulder. He felt her breathing even out and knew she'd fallen asleep. He, however, couldn't.

A year... Even with people looking for her, she'd been a slave for a year.

Merlin could tell by how quickly she'd opened up to him that it had been a long time since she'd had someone to talk to. The whole time they had been speaking, he'd barely heard a sound from the corner where he knew the rest of the slaves to be hiding.

With a sigh, Merlin titled his head back and closed his eyes. He had to get some sleep if he was to be ready for whatever tomorrow threw at them.

But, whatever it was, he knew he would no longer have to face it alone.

**XxX**

**I am hoping the next chapter will be out sooner than next Saturday! In fact, next Saturday might be a tough update time, so it may be earlier, or later, or, if you're really nice and leave me lots of lovely reviews, it'll be both! A double update. **

**Not that I'm bribing you are anything. If I was, there would be Aithusa shaped virtual cookies! *which there are, if anyone's interested***

**Oh, and one more thing. I've noticed that some of my chapters on here have some very odd mistakes that I can't seem to find on my documents on my laptop... If you spot one, can you let me know? I think it might be a glitch or something that's cutting out parts of sentences... **

**Please review before you leave! Reviews are golden! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	8. Malum

**It's another short one I'm afraid, but have no fear! Many requests for a double update, so, fingers crossed, the next chapter will be up in a couple of days! **

**This chapter explains the "motive" (if you can call it that) behind the sorcerer who is torturing Merlin. It also addresses the thought processes of two other important characters in this story. **

**I'm still getting the hang of this more... in detail (is that the right way to describe it?) whump so bear with me! There will be more detailed descriptions of poor Merlin's torment, but I just haven't worked out what to write for those bits yet. **

**On with the chapter! **

**XxX**

_**Malum**_

_Bang! _

Merlin jumped, gasping as he jolted his back, his eyes flashing open as Iyla scrambled away from him, and to her feet.

'Get up!'

A hand seized Merlin's hair, dragging him up. He whimpered as the scars on his back were opened, and he felt blood beginning to run down his skin once more.

'I said get up!' The guard snarled, wrapping his hand around Merlin's throat.

He heard Iyla's cry just as another guard slapped the hand away, leaving him gasping for air. 'Leave him! He's Malum's; you don't wanna get on his bad side!'

The guard grunted, turning back to Merlin. 'Your lucky day, Sorcerer,' he spat, before grabbing Merlin's arms and hauling him out of the cell. He managed to turn his head, catching Iyla's eye before they hauled him round the corner and she disappeared from sight.

XxX

The sorcerer was already waiting for him when the guards dragged him into the large, dark room, binding his wrists to the chain dangling from the ceiling. Merlin kicked out at them as they left, and the sorcerer stepped between, shoving them away.

'Get out!'

With one last pointed glare at Merlin, they turned and left.

The sorcerer came forward, waving his hand. Merlin heard the chains clank, before his arms were yanked higher above his head. He let out a gasp of pain as he felt his feet leave the floor, and he was suspended by his arms in the middle of the room.

'I hope you're comfortable,' the man smiled. Merlin glared at him. 'I realise that my manners are appalling. I didn't even introduce myself last time you were in here!'

'Hanging your guests by their wrists doesn't seem to be doing you any favours either,' Merlin spat, his voice breathless as he tried to block out the pain.

The sorcerer laughed, took a sweeping bow. 'Malum, at your service, _Lord Emrys_.'

'My name is Merlin!' The Warlock growled.

Malum looked at him, his cold, black eyes dancing with amusement. 'You insist on keeping up this charade? Even after the Once and Future King abandoned you? Or do you have another reason to fight already?'

_Iyla... _Merlin shook his head, glaring at Malum. 'What do you want with me?'

The sorcerer sauntered up to him, gripping his face between his thumb and forefinger. 'I want to see you break,' he whispered.

Merlin rolled his eyes in an attempt to mask the fear that was manifesting in his heart. 'As fun as that sound, I think I'll pass. '

'It wasn't an offer.' Malum drew back slightly, before bringing his arm flying forward, colliding with Merlin's stomach. Merlin grunted slightly, feeling his ribs shift slightly under the pressure.

'What did I ever do to you?' Merlin growled angrily, drawing in a deep breath. 'We're both sorcerers; shouldn't you be trying to recruit me or something equally pointless?'

'Oh, if only it was something that simple,' the sorcerer snarled, taking a step backwards. 'How long have you been in Camelot Emrys?'

The Warlock couldn't resist rolling his eyes. 'That's what you're annoyed about? The fact that King Arthur hasn't repealed the ban on magic yet? I must say, you are _very _original!'

Malum laughed. 'No, Emrys. I don't care about the ban on magic; it has no real effect on my life choices after all. My _clients_, on the other hand, will pay very handsomely to see you broken.'

'Looks like you've got your work cut out for you.'

'We'll see.'

Malum turned away, reaching out for something that was obscured by the shadows.

Then he turned back, twirling the silver object in his hand, and grinned.

And Merlin felt his blood run cold.

XxX

They'd assigned her to the dungeons that morning, cleaning the corridor and the stairs that led to the permanent residence of all the slaves in this castle.

Normally, she wouldn't really have minded. Compared to the other work the slaves were regularly assigned, scrubbing floors with another girl really didn't seem so taxing. She was less likely to be punished for doing something wrong down here. But today was different.

Today... she could hear _him. _

She could hear Merlin's screams of agony echoing through the corridor, and she clenched her eyes shut, desperate to block out the sound.

Iyla couldn't stand it.

She'd spend a year in this hell, learning that, in places like this, it was every man for himself.

Nobody had helped her. She'd become convinced that that was how she was fated to die; alone and afraid. Until Merlin arrived yesterday.

He must have been frightened himself. But he'd immediately reached out to her, offering up his jacket to keep her warm against the chill, and attempted to be her friend.

And, like every other coward in Albion, Iyla had turned her back on him the moment she realised he was a sorcerer.

Sorcerers weren't kind, like this man was pretending to be. Sorcerers were evil, and only aimed to hurt those around them. They had broken apart her family and driven her from her home.

That was what she'd convinced herself, until the guards had brought Merlin to their cell.

And after hearing his ragged breathing and seeing the wounds that criss-crossed his back, Iyla knew that there was no way she could let him suffer alone. That would only serve to make her a hypocrite.

Despite herself, Iyla smiled.

For the third time in two days, Iyla smiled.

The screaming had stopped now, and she could only hope that that meant the sorcerer had finally stopped hurting Merlin.

Because she couldn't stand the thought of him being in pain.

Meeting Merlin may just be one of the best things that had ever happened to her.

XxX

Merlin let out a gasping breath, as Malum stepped back, wiping the blade of his knife with a rag he'd drawn from his pocket.

'Where's your precious King now, Emrys?' He let a low grunt, causing Malum to frown. 'What was that?'

'I said,' Merlin growl. 'My. Name. Is. _Merlin!_'

A swift back hand across his face caused his head to snap to the side, and Merlin grunted again, before turning back to face the sorcerer.

'And nothing you say or do will change that!'

Malum narrowed his eyes, flicking his hand and lowering the Warlock to the ground. 'I see I still have a lot of work to do with you,' he hissed. 'But not right now.'

And with a sweep of his cloak, he was gone, leaving Merlin alone in the room.

_Arthur... _A tear rolled down his face. _Help me... _

XxX

_Arthur..._

The King jerked away, his mind still hazy from sleep. The room was pitch black and he could just feel the warm body of his wife, who was still sleeping peacefully by his side.

_Help me..._

'Merlin?'

There was no reply. Arthur blinked, trying to lift the fog from his mind, but as it cleared, the memory of the voice faded with it.

Arthur stayed sat upright for a moment, staring around himself in confusion.

It had been Merlin. He was sure of it. Merlin, asking for his help...

_I must have been dreaming_...

Sighing to himself, Arthur settled himself under the covers once again.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible had happened to his friend...

**XxX**

**And there we have it... **

**Review? Please? Reviews are inspiring! If I'm missing anything, let me know and it will be put on the list of things to write into later chapters! **

**Another chapter hopefully around mid-week, but, if not, feel free to nag me! I'm working my way through a pile of homework the size of Everest, but I'll still find the much needed time to do some writing... with a bit of encouragement ;) **

**Also, virtual cookies for anyone who can tell me what Malum means! **** It's very fitting for this evil man, I'll say that! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	9. A Problem Shared

**OK, it's later than I said, but it's on time for my normal schedule! And it's long! Over 2,000 words! Yay! **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the last 8 chapters! Over 100 reviews now! And thank you to Jediyam, who was the 100th reviewer! **

**Well done to everyone who worked out Malum means evil! Lots of virtual cookies to you! **

**This chapter's a bit scattered, and I think I've lost track of my own timeline, but I will clarify a few things. Merlin's magic is too weak to break the chains holding him, and the normal shackles he's wearing for the magic aren't chained together. He can, however, get small messages through to Arthur due to their bond. They only make it through to Arthur in his sleep, but they will be very important in later chapters. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

A Problem Shared...

Merlin had been left alone in the room for what felt like hours. Earlier, he had heard the guards shouting outside, and had guessed that some of the slaves were being returned to their cells. He wondered briefly if Iyla was with them; he hoped she was. The cells would be one of the safest places for her.

He heard the door open but didn't raise his head, sensing more than seeing Malum return. Merlin felt the sorcerers hand on his face, and jerked his head away, shaking the hand off.

Malum laughed. 'I've met sorcerers, older than you, who would have caved after that lovely session we had earlier. Although, I must admit, I was expecting a fight from the _mighty_ Emrys.'

'I told you,' Merlin snarled. 'My name is _Merlin_!'

'Yes, yes,' Malum waved his hand, shrugging off his comment. 'Your name is _Merlin_; we've been through this already.'

'Then why do you insist on calling me something else?'

The sorcerer laughed. 'Finally! A useful question!' He took a step forward, causing Merlin to lean back. 'Because, Emrys, when you finally stop arguing with me, I'll know that you're starting to break.'

He felt a shiver run down his spine, but fixed the twisted man with a glare.

'You'll be waiting a long time,' Merlin spat. 'I'll never give in to a monster like you!'

Malum smiled, bearing his yellow teeth. 'Good.'

XxX

Arthur paced relentlessly as Gwen sat on their bed, watching him with worried eyes.

'Arthur, it was probably just a dream.'

'How do you know?' Arthur snapped. Gwen didn't flinch, holding his glare. 'He sounded... he was so scared Gwen. What if something has happened to him I wasn't there; I couldn't help him!'

She sighed, sliding off the bed and reaching out to grip his shoulder.

'Listen to me.' He forced himself to stop, turning to face her once again. 'Merlin is one of the most powerful sorcerers to ever live. He can look after himself.'

'But...'

Gwen held up her hand. 'Gaius is expecting a letter from Merlin in the next couple of weeks, remember? You've already asked to be notified when it arrives. And once it does, you'll know he's safe. You'll go to him, and you'll bring him home. Just like we planned.'

Unable to speak, Arthur simply nodded his head. Aware that she wasn't going to get more of a response, Gwen released her grip on his shoulder. She gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Despite what his wife had said, Arthur couldn't shake the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

It had only been just under a week since Merlin had left Camelot, but Arthur was already feeling the coldness of the empty space his manservant usually occupied. Gaius had filled that space slightly by re-telling stories of Merlin's years in Camelot; things Arthur had never known. He heard about the defeat of Ninmueh, of Merlin's secret battle against Morgana. He heard tales of dragons and goblins, of wyverns and witches. The girl Merlin had loved, the father Merlin had never known...

Arthur shivered slightly, despite the warm fire burning in hearth.

A week was plenty of time for Merlin, who was attracted to trouble like Gwaine was attracted to mead, to get hurt.

And, deep down, Arthur knew that Merlin's letter was never going to arrive.

XxX

Merlin threw his head back, but Malum grabbed his hair, pressing the knife roughly against his throat.

'Haven't you realised yet? You'll never beat me!' Malum whispered, a grin

The Warlock kicked out, trying to throw the sorcerer off, but he responded simply by pressing the knife deeper into his throat. A trickle of blood made its way down his neck, and Merlin couldn't help but gasp at the pain.

'Why are you so stubborn?'

'Runs in the family,' Merlin breathed before slamming his head forward.

Malum cried out as Merlin's head collided with his, but regained his composure quickly, seizing Merlin's bloodied face between his fingers.

'You little brat!'

He punched Merlin in the stomach, and the Warlock gasped, doubling over in his chains.

'Guards!' Merlin heard the door open, but didn't raise his head. 'Get him out of my sight!'

The chains released him from the ceiling and he fell onto the ground, his body screaming against the movement. He let out a tiny whimper, but managed to prevent the tears that threatened to fall. The guards paid no notice; they pulled him to his feet, and dragged him from the room.

XxX

Iyla sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, staring at the floor in front of her.

The slavers had brought a select group back around mid-afternoon to get them out the way as they had finished all their chores. This was very rare – this was only the third time it had happened to her since she'd arrived – but it suited them just fine. It meant less work to do.

But it also meant that she was further away from Merlin.

Iyla let out a deep sigh, before pressing her face into her knees.

She could still hear his screams from earlier; the pain filled screams that would haunt her for many years to come. She wasn't sure why it had affected her so badly; slaves were beaten regularly in places like this. It wasn't uncommon to hear somebody crying out in pain.

But she'd never connected with any of them. They were all nameless faces to her, who came and went as their captors saw fit. There were those who had been there since before she'd arrived, those that had arrived in the year since she'd been there. A few of them they kept, the hard workers, the ones who got things done, like her. The rest were sold on, to who knows where. It didn't bare thinking about.

The slavers castle may be hell, but there were worse places she could be.

A bang jerked her out of her thoughts, and she scrambled forwards as Merlin hit the floor, the cell door slamming shut behind him.

His back was slightly bloody, his wounds from yesterday having been re-opened, but there were no fresh ones as far as Iyla could see. She leant down, reaching under him to help him sit up. Merlin groaned slightly, and Iyla forced herself to take a shaky breath when she withdrew her hand, realising that it was covered in blood.

'Oh, Merlin...'

He waved his hand slightly. 'I'm alright. Looks worse than it is,' he grunted.

'I'm inclined to disagree!' She exclaimed, taking in the bloody mess that was his chest. She gently traced one of the wounds, barely noticing the blood on her fingers this time. 'What did you do to make them hate you so?'

Merlin attempted to shrug, his eyes half closed.

Iyla bit her lip; his lack of response wasn't a good sign.

The door opened again, and a bowl of water with rags was slid into the room. She grabbed it, glancing up at the guard.

'Make sure he doesn't die.'

She nodded and the door slammed shut again. Merlin let out a quiet sigh, and Iyla forced herself to blink back tears as she began to tend to his wounds.

XxX

His mind was hazy. He could hear someone talking to him, it sounded like Iyla, and he may have replied, but he's not sure. The haze is also numbing the pain in his back and chest, for which he is grateful. At least he hasn't fallen unconscious yet either.

But the haze was slowly lifting, and with it came the sheer agony of his wounds. He let out a gasp as he felt tears run down his face.

A hand brushed against the side of his face, and his eyes snapped open, focusing on her in front of him.

'Hi.'

She gave him a watery smile. 'Glad you could join us.'

Merlin reached back with his arm, trying to settle himself in a more comfortable position by Iyla still him.

'Don't move. You'll only make things worse.'

Finding no strength to argue, Merlin complied as she began to tend to the light cut on his throat.

They sat in silence for some time, as she moved back to his chest, glancing occasionally at his face.

'Tell me about magic.'

Merlin raised an eyebrow at her, but she simply watched him expectantly.

'Magic...' he began cautiously. 'I don't really know where to start. Magic isn't as simple as many people seem to think. You choose to practise it, and that makes you bad. At least, that's what Uther Pendragon has brainwashed people into thinking. 'Iyla tilted her head slightly, listening to his every word. 'I think there was a time when magic was one of the most revered crafts. Everyone wanted a piece of the stuff; the crops never failed, the sick never suffered with fevers... The High Priests and Priestesses of the Old Religion were worshipped like gods.'

'It sounds wonderful.'

He smiled slightly, leaning his head back against the wall. 'It was my dream. Imagine a world where everybody has enough to eat. A world where everyone has enough money for clothes and medicines. This was the time the seers of Old prophesised; the time of the Once and Future King.'

Iyla noted the way he relaxed as he talked, and felt herself beginning to unwind too.

'I was born with the power not even a High Priest of the Old Religion could possibly obtain in his life time. The older I got, the more power I had, and it just seems to keep growing and growing. Thirty years ago, I'd have been taken from my family and trained by the Priests. I would have ruled from the Isle of the Blessed or worked side by side with Kings. But not anymore.

'Now, I am forced to hide in the shadows, deny who I truly am. They said I was supposed to help bring in this golden age of Camelot; that _that _was the reason for my power.'

'But you disagree?'

He turned to her once again, and was surprised to see tears of her own beginning to trickle down her face.

'It's hard to understand why, if I have this great Destiny, I was cast from my home. Not once, but twice, because I didn't fit in. I'd convinced myself that magic was a force for good; that people had just become misguided through the prejudice, and fear. The anger and the hate. But seeing Malum... The delight on his face every time he hurts me. He's a monster. But he has magic. Is he a monster because he's magic? Or is his magic a tool of the monster? I just... I don't know anymore.'

Merlin let his eyes drift closed, holding back yet more tears, when he felt something soft on his cheek. His eyes snapped open, just in time to catch her leaning back. His hand came up to brush his cheek and she blushed slightly.

'I've only know you two days, Merlin, but already you are one of the kindest people I've ever met. There's no way that you are a monster. Whoever they were that threw you out lost a great friend that day. Lucky for me though.'

'And why's that?'

She grinned and leaned forward. 'Because it means you're mine now.'

And this time, when Iyla leant forward to kiss him, their lips met in the softest of brushes. She drew back and smiled at him.

Merlin stared at her for a moment, before giving her a gentle smile back.

The door banged open, and the guard grunted roughly as he slid a tray into the room. 'Food.'

The door shut, and Iyla glanced at Merlin. 'We'd better eat whilst we still can.'

She stood up, moving over to the tray. Merlin watched her for a moment, before pushing himself up, and making his way to join her.

**XxX**

**Another chapter done! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought? **

**On to other topics... Doctor Who's over! :'( I am absolutely heartbroken! Especially with that ending, which I don't want to spoil for those who haven't seen it! But tissues are a necessity! Lots of tissues! **

**On the plus side, it's my 18th birthday in six days, and Merlin Series 5 starts in seven! :D :D :D :D :D So updates next week may be a bit slow, due to the awesomeness of everything else that's happening. **

**Please leave a review! Reviews are like presents! You never know what you're going to find on the inside, but it always makes you feel warm and fuzzy :D I WILL reply to them this week! Terribly sorry for my complete failure with keeping up last week... **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	10. United

**OK... It's a bit later than I anticipated... And I have no good excuse, except I spent four days attempting to sleep off a very nasty bug that is going round. So, yeah... **

**Anyway, this chapter actually has a dedication. To a very good friend of mine who has been reminding me all day to get this chapter written and posted. **

**Note my very calm mood, despite the epically awesome return of Merlin last week. Might have something to do with that sedative... **

**In this chapter, we lay out the rest of the plotline that will continue for the rest of the story. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

United 

Nobody else came forward as they made their way forward and crouched by the tray.

'How many slaves are there?' Merlin whispered.

Iyla shrugged. 'I'm not sure,' she replied. 'There may be people in here that I have never seen before.'

The idea made Merlin shudder, but he nodded his head. 'Ok. We'll wait for the rest of them to come out.'

She frowned. 'Why?'

To make sure that everyone gets their fare share.' She stared at him blankly. 'You don't make sure everyone gets fed?'

'I just assumed they did.'

Merlin turned his head to stare at her. 'You don't check?'

Iyla shook her head and Merlin turned back to the shadows.

'There's food for everyone!' he called into the gloom.

A movement caught his eyes and he turned to the approaching figure. Iyla gasped.

It was a little girl, no older than twelve. She had dark, frizzy hair that stood out against her pale skin, and dark, brown eyes that were full of pure innocence. Merlin held out her hand.

'It's OK,' he smiled. 'Are you hungry?'

She nodded and crept forward to take hold of his hand. He gripped it tightly, leading her forward where he broke off some of the bread and handed it to her.

'What's your name?' Iyla had crouched down next to her too. The girl glanced between the two of them warily.

'Hayley.'

Iyla smiled. 'That's a beautiful name, Hayley. Where are you from?'

'Eresford,' she began to eat, her attention solely on the bread now.

'That's in Merica,' Iyla whispered. 'We passed through there not long before they grabbed you.'

He nodded his understanding. 'Since you were put in here, have you eaten?'

Hayley shook her head. 'They brought us food in the cages on the way here, but no. Not since I was put in this cell.'

Iyla gasped as Merlin looked into the shadows once again. 'No-one offered you any food?'

'Merlin...'

Merlin held up his hand to silence her. 'I know, Iyla. "Everyman for himself." But, in places like this, that doesn't work. More people will die if we don't help each other; I'm already an example of that. You hear me?' He raised his voice for the last part, and something shifted in the shadows.

Somebody else moved into a view; a man about ten years older than Merlin with a dirty face. And then another man, this time elderly. One by one, they came forward until Merlin was surrounded by ten people, Iyla and Hayley included. He nodded and began to divide up the food into equal shares while Iyla passed them around. The man scowled slightly at the meagre portion he received, but chose to eat it quietly. Merlin picked up his ration, savouring the feel of the slightly stale bread in his aching stomach.

'Thank you.' Merlin glanced at the elderly man and smiled.

'Are there other slaves?'

'In other cells around the dungeons. They separate us because they don't want us conspiring against them.'

Merlin chuckled darkly. 'Smarter than they look.'

'They have a leader.' All heads turned towards Hayley. 'I heard them talking about him. He's a sorcerer and the others are terrified of him.'

'Malum.' She nodded her head, and he sighed. 'Yeah, I've met him. Seems like the kind of person who would think of everything.'

'What does he want with you?' The middle-aged man snapped. Merlin responded by holding up his wrist. The man glared at him. 'Oh yeah; you're one of _them_.'

'You've got a problem with my kind?'

He sneered. '_Your_ kind? I'll tell you what my problem with _your_ kind is, buddy. You murder our families. You take our homes and you think it's all a game!'

The others gasped, but Merlin simply raised an eyebrow at him. 'Is that so? And tell me... what was your name again?'

'Jerestin.'

'Well, Jerestin,' Merlin smiled. 'Besides myself and Malum, have you met any other magic users?'

'What do you mean?'

'How many other sorcerers have you met?'

Jerestin continued to frown and Merlin nodded. 'That's what I thought.' He looked around the small crowd, taking in their faces. 'I know that many of you will have been taught to... hate those who practise magic. Believe me; I've encountered many people who think the same way. But you've never _heard_ our side of the story.'

'You're all liars...'

'Is that what Uther told you?' Merlin snapped. Jerestin flinched back at the harsh tone in his voice. 'Well, let me tell _you _something about your King! My father was one of Uther's most trusted advisors; he trusted the King, even after he began the persecution of magic users. He trusted him when he said that Uther wanted to make peace. And Uther betrayed him.'

'Merlin...'

But the Warlock just shook his head, fixing Jerestin with a glare. 'My father fled; he _gave up_ using magic so he could stay with my mother, and live his life. They weren't even _within _Camelot's boundaries, but still Uther chased him. He drove him from his home, and forced him to live in a cave for over twenty years; I grew up without a father and he never knew he had son until the day before he died. So, you tell me, _Jerestin_, who's more evil?'

Silence fell.

Jerestin looked away from Merlin, his eyes fixed on the food in his hands that had previously lay forgotten. The red flush creeping around his ears caught the Warlock's attention, and he felt his breath catch as the adrenalin that had previously pumped through his system fade.

Why had he told them about Balinor?

He hadn't even realised how much pent up anger he'd been holding onto.

But now, as Iyla stared at him with worry in her eyes, he just felt ashamed.

That rant was something he'd been saving for Arthur when – no, _if_, he reminded himself bitterly – he saw the King again. For two days he'd been attacked; his belief system torn apart. In the space of a week he'd lost everything he ever loved and cared about.

It was amazing that he hadn't snapped earlier.

XxX

They finished their meagre meal in silence. Merlin stared at the floor most of the time, trying to ignore the pulling of his muscles as he raised the food to his mouth.

Beside him, Hayley was pressed close to his side, with Iyla on her other side.

Despite what Merlin had said, they had both remained by his side, even as the others shuffled away in fear of the Warlock that sat among them.

'Can you show us?'

He turned his head, slightly, surprised at the small voice beside him. 'Sorry?'

Hayley watched him, her large eyes unblinking. 'Can you show us? Some of your magic?'

He shook his head sadly. 'No, Hayley. I'm sorry. Malum had his lackies block my magic as soon as they caught me. Until I figure out how to get these off, I won't be performing any magic. And I won't be escaping, either.'

Hayley lent forward to look at the cuffs on his hand, tracing the groove with her fingers.

Merlin couldn't help but feel amazed at how quickly both Iyla and Hayley had come to trust him. But, from what he'd learnt so far, he knew that neither of them had had someone to rely on for a very long time.

'How many other slaves are there?'

The old man glanced at him. 'There are about three other cells, I think; so, maybe, forty slaves overall. It's hard to tell, they come and go as Malum sells them off and brings more in. But there are no other sorcerers; Malum only has one sorcerer at a time.'

'That could be good,' Merlin nodded. 'If all of Malum's attention is on me, he'll have less time to vent his anger on you. We can use that to our advantage.'

'Who put you in charge?'

Merlin rolled his eyes, as he turned to face Jerestin. 'Got your voice back, have you?' Jerestin narrowed his eyes at him, but shut his mouth. Merlin nodded. 'I was a servant for eight years. There's more to serving than just completing the tasks set by your master. I'm certain that there is a way for us to manipulate their system and make our lives easier whilst we're here, until we can find a way to leave.'

'How come you're not a servant anymore?'

The Warlock bit the side of his mouth, and rolled his eyes up to ceiling. 'I'm a sorcerer. What do you think happened?'

'So they threw you out because you had magic?'

'It was Camelot. I'm lucky I wasn't executed.' Jerestin's eyes widened slightly, as Merlin continued to glare at him. 'Can I continue now?' The man nodded. 'Good.' Merlin turned himself away from the man, deliberately shifting so that he wasn't in his line of sight.

'For eight years, I've done every job imaginable, and there _are _methods servants use to make their lives easier. If we can get the message to the other slaves, over time we can organise them. But first, I need to know if anyone here is assigned a specific job.'

Three people raised their hands, including Hayley. Merlin nodded to the girl before turning to a middle-aged woman, who was sat behind the rest of the group.

'What do you do?'

'I'm Felicia. I do the laundry with Hayley.'

'Are there any other slaves assigned to help you?'

She shook her head. 'No. Nobody specific helps us, and hardly any slaves come and help us. It's just us two.'

'And that's the problem,' Merlin glanced around the group. 'If you don't get assigned specific jobs every day, then you should be splitting the work between you. Even the most difficult jobs.'

Iyla nodded her head. 'If we split the work between us, making sure everyone has an equal share, the slavers will have less to punish us for. The understaffed jobs will be more efficient, and the overstaffed jobs will have less people getting in their way! Either way, we all have less work to do, and we're less likely to be hurt.'

Merlin smiled. 'It works in Camelot, it can work here too. I'm sure of it.'

Everyone looked between one another, seemingly contemplating their words. 'What does this mean? In the long term?'

'It means,' Iyla laughed. 'That we're going to get stronger. We may not be healthy, but we're not going to be hurting like we were before.'

Felicia let out a sigh of relief. 'It means we're going to be alright. It means we're going to get home someday.'

Everyone gasped and started chattering, planning how they were going to share their workload.

Merlin watched them sadly. 'Iyla...' She turned to him. 'The chances of getting out of here are still slim-to-none, even with everyone becoming stronger.'

'I know,' she sighed. 'But hope is a strong force, Merlin. It will keep them going.'

'A false hope will destroy them, Iyla.'

She leaned towards him, as the others began to settle down to sleep. 'Then we'd better make sure it's not a false hope, then, mustn't we?'

XxX

'You must tell no-one about this, Gwaine. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, especially Gwen and Gaius'.'

'Of course,' the Knight nodded. 'What do you need?'

'I need you to go look for Merlin.'

Gwaine started, staring at him. 'Sorry?'

'It's a gut feeling I have.' Arthur whispered, glancing behind him to check no-one was approaching. 'He's in trouble, Gwaine. Please, just find him.'

Gwaine hesitated a moment, searching his King's face. 'What happened to the whole "Merlin is a traitor"?'

Arthur sighed. 'I made a mistake, Gwaine. Just... please?'

'What made you think I would say no?' Gwaine grinned. Arthur let out a sigh of relief.

'Thank you.' He turned and began to walk away.

'Arthur!' He looked back. 'What do you want me to do when I find him?'

Arthur smiled. 'Isn't that obvious, Gwaine?'

'I want to hear you say it.'

'OK,' he turned back, looking the Knight straight in the eye. 'I want you to make sure he's alright, Gwaine. And then I want you to bring him home.'

**XxX**

**And it's done!**

**Merlin tomorrow night! Yay! And, hopefully, the next chapter of Against All Odds straight after! **

**Until then...**

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	11. To Work

**I'm not too happy with this chapter, and it was really difficult to write, so apologies in advance for that. **

**On another note, it's the last one before we start to see more action, Merlinisepic, scenes, so yay! And I'm glad you like Hayley! Lots of you have said you like Hayley. *SPOILERS* I got the idea from Rue from the Hunger Games, although that doesn't mean she's going to have the same ending. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

To Work

'OK, this is what we're going to do.'

All eyes turned to Merlin as they gathered in the centre of the cell, waiting for the guards to arrive and take them away to do their chores.

'Whilst the rest of the slaves don't know what we're doing, if we make sure that we are all divided up equally amongst our group, the rest of them will pick up on our plan and follow our lead.'

'I'll make sure it's equal when we get taken away. If we can get the message to the other slaves, this plan will definitely work,' Iyla nodded. 'But... what about you?'

Merlin shrugged. 'It depends on what Malum's decided, I guess,' he muttered, his eyes dropping to the floor. Iyla touched his shoulder gently, her finger tracing the wound there.

'You'll be OK,' she whispered.

He turned to her, giving her a smile. 'Yeah.'

The door clanged open, and they all looked up.

'Get up!'

Hayley gulped as Iyla reached for her, pulling her to her feet. 'It's alright. Come on.'

Merlin stood too, but held back, unsure whether he should be going with them or not. The guard answered that one quickly, seizing him by his elbow and throwing him out after the rest of the group.

He grunted in pain, but managed to stay upright, knowing things would be a lot worse for him should he fall. Felicia grabbed his arm, steadying him. He nodded, gratefully, to the older woman, and straightened his back, wincing as pain exploded in his wounds once again.

'Move it!'

He stumbled forward, as the slaves began to walk in a straight line. Hayley was directly in front of him, and she reached back subtly, her hand open. He took it, and gave it a squeeze, letting her know that he was there.

They began to divide up, being led away by different guards. Merlin watched as Iyla was led away, and he followed Hayley and Felicia down to the laundry room. Laundry wasn't an easy task, but it wasn't as strenuous as other tasks he could have been assigned. And it would give him a chance to talk to Felicia and Hayley in private. After all, why would three slaves doing laundry need to be monitored?

XxX

Merlin grunted slightly, as he reached for the next shirt. Felicia watched him with kind, worried eyes, but said nothing as he washed the clothing. Hayley dropped the next basket between them, and kneeled down in front of her washboard.

'Why have they put you to work?'

Merlin glanced up at Felicia, frowning. 'Why wouldn't they? They want me "trained", don't they?'

She shook her head. 'Malum never puts his sorcerers to work. He doesn't want them trained as slaves; at least not in the same way they want the rest of us trained.'

'He uses them as weapons.' Felicia nodded. 'How does he control their magic? They cuffed me because they know what I will do if I ever get free.'

'I don't know,' she shook her head. 'He kept the last one for three months; that was the longest Malum has ever kept a sorcerer. He always breaks them in the end. And, by that time, he has complete control over their magic.'

'But what does he use them for?' Merlin frowned. 'He breaks them, gains complete control, and then they're gone and he moves on to someone else. Malum obviously sells them; he told me so. But who too?'

Again, Felicia shook her head and they fell into silence, working steadily through the piles of laundry. Merlin took a deep breath, trying to ignore the throbbing his shoulders as he moved his arms.

'How do they create so much laundry?' Merlin marvelled. 'Didn't you work through this yesterday?'

Hayley laughed. 'Yeah. But there are more people in this castle than you'd think.'

Merlin smiled at her. 'So, who does live here?'

'We get all the laundry from the main part of the castle too,' Felicia added, looking sternly at Hayley. 'But slaves aren't allowed up there. Whoever owns it lets Malum and his mercenaries use an abandoned section of his land, and in return we do a load of his work so he saves money on servants.'

'Why would he need servants when he could have slaves?'

'Because...'

'Hayley!' Felicia snapped. Hayley snapped her mouth shut, just as a guard opened the door.

Iyla entered, carrying another full basket. She placed it down, carefully, next to Merlin, allowing her hand to brush against his shoulder as she turned to leave again.

Merlin couldn't help but notice the bruise blossoming on her cheek, and felt a surge of anger. He waited until the guard had his back turned before he let it show though. Iyla glanced at them one last time before she was pulled outside once again.

'I heard that slavery's actually illegal, here,' Hayley whispered.

'Illegal?' she nodded and Felicia gave a defeated sigh.

'We over-heard the guards talking about it yesterday. Apparently there was a close call with one of the King's patrols; that's why we were all taken back to the cells early.'

'And Malum left me alone for ages,' Merlin realised. 'I heard you all heading back.'

Hayley nodded. 'I was really scared! They just grabbed us and took us all back to the cells, and left us there without saying anything.'

'That's normal,' Felicia shrugged. 'The guards never tell us anything. It's happened a few times since I arrived.'

'How long have you been here?'

'I'm not sure, but I think it's been about six months. Iyla was already here when I arrived.'

Merlin shook his head. 'This isn't right,' he murmured. 'There has to be a way to get the attention of one of these patrols.'

'We don't know when they come though,' Felicia sighed. 'We just get shoved out the way so they don't suspect a thing!'

Hayley reached over and took the shirt Merlin was washing, turning to hang it up on the line.

'They must suspect something if they keep coming back?'

'King's have bigger things to worry about then one lord whose selling slaves.'

'Depends on the King,' Merlin shrugged, trying to ignore the images of Arthur and Camelot that were flitting through his mind. Would Arthur come if he knew what was going on in this castle? Probably; Arthur hated slavers, especially after they'd been capture by Jarl all those years ago.

'Have you ever met a King?'

Merlin looked at Hayley, who was watching him curiously. 'Yes, I have actually. A great King.'

'What was he like?'

Felicia leant forward slightly, and Merlin smiled. 'A complete prat.'

XxX

Arthur sat at his desk, staring at the reports in front of him, his eyes unfocused and his mind wandering.

Gwaine had left immediately after their conversation last night, riding out into the forest to search for their friend. Maybe he should have sent someone else with the Knight, but Arthur immediately dismissed the thought. Gwaine probably wouldn't have accepted any help; he hadn't defended Merlin when the man was banished. Gwaine, just like Arthur, knew he had to make it up to Merlin.

With nothing else to do to aid the search for his friend, Arthur found himself coming up with excuses, just so he could go to the Physician's chambers and enquire as to whether Gaius had heard from Merlin yet.

Until Gaius had practically forbidden him from coming down unless he was injured or ill. And it was still only the first day.

The King let out a frustrated sigh, and rested his forehead against the desk.

He needed to forget about the Warlock, and carry on with his duties. There was nothing he could do for Merlin now, and he still had a Kingdom to run.

Closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath, Arthur sat back up and reached for his quill, turning his attention once again to the reports in front of him.

When Gwaine returned with Merlin, they would find a way to laugh about this whole situation. And Merlin would probably never let him live it down for how worried he was over nothing.

Somehow, Arthur couldn't quite convince himself to believe that.

XxX

Merlin was sitting against the wall, telling Hayley another story when Iyla was brought back with the rest of the slaves.

Merlin himself, Felicia, Hayley and a few others had already been brought back earlier, and Merlin had found himself worrying that the rest hadn't returned, but Felicia assured him, again, that this was normal.

She immediately came to his side, sliding down to sit on the floor next to him. He turned to her, and touched her cheek, where the bruise was even more visible under her eye.

'What happened?'

'It's nothing.' She tried to brush his hand off, but he raised an eyebrow at her. Iyla glanced at him, and relented.

He reached out again, running his thumb over the bruise, and she winced slightly, her eyes down cast.

'Who did this?'

'The cook,' she whispered. 'I dropped a pitcher; it was empty but it cracked. I was lucky the cook hit me before one of the guards, though.'

Merlin withdrew his hand, using it to brush her hair back from her face.

'Merlin's telling me stories of Knights, Iyla,' Hayley smiled, sitting up so she could see the older woman. 'Would you like to hear one?'

Iyla smiled, shuffling closer to Merlin's side. 'I would love to.'

**XxX**

**I am refraining from mentioning Merlin Series 5 because I understand that there are many who haven't had the chance to see the new episodes... It's harder than it seems! But, my story is now officially AU, thanks to the writers. It's still awesome though! **

**Next chapter up, probably after the show's aired on Saturday, but we'll see. I'm on an extremely long weekend, even though I do have a massive pile of work to do... But we won't mention that. **

**Leave a review before you go! Guesses at what's going to happen next, what you like, what you don't like... I want to hear it all! And I'll try to reply this time. I forgot last week... Sorry! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	12. Letters To No-One

**A quick filler before the next chapter tonight! **

**Arthur's a bit OC, but he's beginning to go a bit stir crazy with worry, grief and guilt now, so I think we can allow it.**

**Also... MERLIN IN 1 HOUR! Eeeeeeeepppp! **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Letters To No-One

Arthur stared at the map in front of him, which was marked with X's, covering half of the villages. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he grabbed his quill and put yet another X through one of the villages; a village where Merlin hadn't been found.

It had become an obsession for the young King, the need to find his friend. Most of the Knights had understood, and took time during their regular patrols to search for the Warlock, but they had all come up empty.

There was no sign of Merlin.

Both Gwen and Gaius had tried to talk to him, that Merlin was just trying to move on with his life, but it had done little to appease the King. Even if Merlin refused to return to Camelot, he needed to know that his friend was OK; it was the least he owed him. He wanted to be able to send him money for food, and to have a good life; the life he had been denied whilst living in Camelot.

And then, of course, there was the letter.

Merlin had sworn, as he'd packed his meagre belongings to flee for his life, that he would let Gaius know when and where he'd settled. And Merlin knew better than to break a promise to Gaius.

Yet there was no letter.

Arthur, despite Gaius' desires that he stopped "lurking", as the Physician had called it, had visited the tower every day, hoping for news on Merlin. He'd written his own letters, and sent them out with Gwaine, but the Knight had always ended up returning them to the King. Gwaine had set out two days ago with the latest one, this time combined with letters from Gaius and Gwen.

And there had been no reply.

The door opened, and Arthur didn't need to look up to know that it was his wife. She walked round the back of the table, placing her hands on his shoulders.

'Any news?'

'Nothing,' Arthur muttered, staring at the map.

'Arthur...' He turned to look at her, her eyes dark with worry. 'Maybe... Maybe you should stop looking.'

'What?' He stood up straight, staring at her incredulously. 'You can't be serious!'

She shook her head, directing him towards the bed, and forcing him to sit down. 'Arthur,' Gwen sat down next to him, taking his hands in hers. 'There have been reports of slavers moving through the country; Alined is demanding that we revise his treaty. The summer is approaching quick, and we need to be preparing the citizens for planting. There are feasts to prepare for, laws to revise, council meetings to arrange... Arthur... You simply don't have the time to spend looking for Merlin.'

'I can't give up on him...' Arthur whispered. 'I can't...'

'You still have Gwaine,' she smiled. 'You know there's no way he'll give up on Merlin. And the patrols will continue to search for him. I just meant that you need to focus on other things now.'

He met her gaze, and held it for a few seconds before he nodded.

Gwen understood the nod for what it was, and gave him a swift kiss before departing.

Arthur sighed, rubbing his face. He looked towards the window, and the setting sun. 'It's been two months, Merlin. Where are you, old friend?..'

**XxX**

**Leave a review please! And I'll be back later tonight! **

**TTFN  
Valkyirexx**


	13. A Friend In Need

**OMG, I know that a lot of you haven't seen it yet, but I am so excited after tonight's episode! And that's all I'm going to say on the matter...**

**Anyway, as promised, the next chapter! Thank you to **_**The Goddess Of Books**_** for your suggestion on Gwaine. It was so amazing, I had to include it, and I hope everyone else enjoys it as well. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

A Friend In Need

The black haze of sleep began to lift, and with it came the throbbing ache his body had grown accustomed too. He felt a dead weight on his arm, and shifted slightly, careful not to dislodge the person who was sleeping there.

Another weight was resting on his chest, and his other arm was wrapped around their shoulders. Sighing slightly, Merlin let out a deep breath, keeping his eyes closed.

These moments, when he was teetering on the edge of consciousness, with Iyla and Hayley close, by were the only moments of piece he had before he re-entered the hell he was living.

_Bang!_

Merlin jumped slightly, and Iyla rolled away from him, disorientated, blinking up at the guards that had just entered the cell. Hayley sat upright, shuffling further back at the sight of the armed men bearing down on them.

The guards moved forward seizing Merlin under his arms, and hauling him from the cell. Behind him, Iyla crawled over to Hayley, gathering the young girl up in her arms as Merlin was led away. Merlin gave them a smile, before he rounded a corner and they disappeared from sight.

His legs were stiff and his back ached, but the Warlock forced himself to walk with a straight back, and his head high.

He knew where they were taking him.

The door in front of him opened of its own accord, and Malum was there, waiting for him, like he always was.

He was holding a knife that he kept tossing up and down, catching it by the tip of the blade.

'Good morning, Emrys.'

'I'd have preferred it if you'd let me sleep in for once,' Merlin quipped as the guards forced him into a chair in the middle of the room, binding his arms to the seat. 'Not exactly a morning person.'

'Yes,' Malum smiled. 'We've been through this already, Merlin. I'm afraid you cannot have a lie in, until you give me what I want.'

Merlin let out a yawn, and closed his eyes, knowing this would only antagonise the sorcerer, but finding that he really couldn't care less.

A fist gripped his hair, yanking his head back. Merlin grunted, and opened his eyes. 'Someone's grouchy this morning.'

Malum snarled, thrusting Merlin's head forward. Merlin took a deep breath, before looking back up, watching the sorcerer carefully.

'Why do you continue to defy me?' The sorcerer snapped. 'I could make your life so much easier, if you just said yes.'

'Because people like you never win.'

Malum laughed. 'I'm not sure I'll ever understand where you get your hope from, Emrys.'

Again, Merlin just rolled his eyes and looked away. 'We've had this conversation twice a week for the past six months. What makes you think anything you have to say to me today will change my mind?'

XxX

Gwaine knelt down in the autumn leaves, his fingers rustling through the shrubbery, searching for non-existent clues.

It had been four months since Arthur had called off the search for Merlin. Whilst he had understood why they could no longer waste their resources looking for a sorcerer, Gwaine had found it hard to forgive the King.

He needed to find Merlin; he needed to apologise for what he'd done.

But now Arthur's time was preoccupied with the gang of slave traders that had been travelling through the five kingdoms. He didn't have time to be hunting a missing servant.

As Gwaine stood up, a rustling behind him caught his attention. He spun around, drawing his sword instinctively. There was nothing there.

After a moment, the Knight relaxed his stance, but kept his sword drawn. He turned to make his way back to his horse...

And pain exploded in the back of his head.

Gwaine dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

And knew no more...

XxX

Merlin grunted and recoiled as Malum struck him, hard, across the face once again. He straightened, sending a glare at the other man, ignoring the blood that was running down his face.

'Go to hell,' Merlin snarled.

Malum let out a frustrated growl, grabbing his knife from where it lay discarded on the floor. Merlin gave an experimental tug on his chains as the sorcerer advanced on him once again.

The blade of the knife pressed roughly against his throat, forcing his head back slightly, and his eyes to meet his captors.

'You could make this all stop, Emrys,' Malum whispered. 'All you have to do is say yes, and I will make sure that the little girl and the woman you love so much are taken care of for life.'

Merlin's eyes went wide. 'What do you mean, taken care of?'

Malum grinned. 'They will want for _nothing_.'

His mind was reeling. Iyla and Hayley would never go hungry again. Nobody would hurt them again. They would go home to their families, and live the lives they deserved. They would be safe.

But what about the people he would be forced to hurt, once somebody else had control of his magic? Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people could be injured or worse.

No.

Iyla and Hayley were his entire world; they meant everything to him.

And Iyla would kill him herself if he gave into Malum's demands.

For a second, Merlin closed his eyes, allowing him to collect his feelings and thoughts. He felt tears welling up behind his eyes, and forced himself to take a deep breath, before opening his eyes, and meeting Malum's dark, grey ones.

He shook his head. 'No.'

The sorcerer's eyes darkened for a moment. 'You'll regret that.'

Merlin gave the man a sad smile. 'You've got no idea what she would do to me if I'd accepted your offer.'

The blade was pulled away sharply, but Merlin didn't have time to regain his composure before Malum had a meaty fist around his throat.

The Warlock gasped, as the sorcerer applied pressure, forcing the chair to tilt backwards, balancing on two legs instead of four.

'I don't _care_about your stupid affections and _feelings_,' Malum spat. 'You _will _give me what I want, Emrys. One way or another.'

He released Merlin's throat, and Merlin hit the floor, his head colliding with the stone with a sickening thud. Pain exploded in the back of his head, and stars clouded his vision momentarily.

He felt Malum's hands around his wrists before his bonds were released, and he crumpled on the floors.

'Guards!' The door burst open, as Merlin crawled on the floor, trying to get his bearings. 'Get him out of my sight.'

Arms seized him under his shoulders, and the guards hauled him to his feet. He allowed them to support his entire weight as they dragged him from the room, and away from Malum.

XxX

Gwaine woke with a massive headache.

He groaned, raising a hand to his head, before pushing himself up on his knees and looking around his new environment.

He was in a cage, much to his disgust. His armour and sword had been removed, leaving him in a plain, red tunic, breeches and his boots. Letting out a growl of frustration, Gwaine forced himself into a seating position, banging against the bars to get his captors attention.

The curtain was pushed back slightly, and a revolting face peered in at him. 'He's awake!' The slimy man called.

Now, the cloth was removed altogether, and the door to the cage opened. Two pairs of hands reached in to grab him, and his attempted to bat them away, but his head was still spinning from the blow he'd received, and he felt slightly ill as they pulled him from the cage.

Gwaine's legs didn't support him immediately, and he stumbled slightly. The men around him laughed, and pulled him to his feet.

Finally able to see clearly, Gwaine looked up at the building in front of him.

It was a castle, run down, old and shabby. Gwaine dug his heels into the ground, but a shove from behind got him moving and he was led into the castle.

They led him deep beneath the castle, down into the dungeons. What little sunlight was left disappeared due to the lack of windows underground, and he could hear noises around them.

'Who are you?'

The men said nothing, choosing instead to trip him on the stairs, catching him just before he pitched forward. They laughed, and continued to force him down the stairs.

'Let go of me! I am a Knight of Camelot!'

'He's a feisty one!' The slimy man laughed. His companion chuckled.

'Might even give Malum's sorcerer a run for his money.'

Gwaine's blood ran cold. A sorcerer? Also capture by these cruel mercenaries?

'What sorcerer? What are you talking about?'

They said nothing, as they reached the bottom of the stairs and rounded a corner.

'Where do you want this one?'

A guard raised his head, his face obscured by his helmet. 'Put him in this one.' He reached behind him, pulling open the cell door.

Gwaine resisted, pressing back against his captors in order to knock them over but with no luck. They threw him into the cell.

He hit the floor with a thud, and, by the time he got back on his feet, the cell door was closed and locked. Gwaine banged against the bars, before resting his head on the metal, letting out an aggravated sigh.

'Gwaine?'

Gwaine's head shot up, his breath catching in his throat.

Slowly, he turned.

XxX

Merlin had managed to get his feet back under him by the time they made it back to the cell. His head was still aching slightly, but the numb feeling he was accustomed too soon took over, and he managed to sit down calmly after they'd led him back to the cell.

Iyla was by his side in an instant, holding the wet cloth and bowl the guards always supplied them with following Merlin's sessions with Malum. She immediately turned her attention to the head wound.

'What did he offer you this time?' she muttered.

A single tear escaped from under his lid, and he blinked, trying to clear them. 'He offered...' he took a deep breath. 'He offered to let you and Hayley go. He promised that you'd be set for life.'

She drew back slightly. 'You didn't consider it, did you?'

Merlin nodded, his eyes closed.

'Ow!' Merlin's eyes snapped open, and he glared reproachfully at her. 'I didn't take the offer; I knew you would never forgive me if I did.'

'You're damn right I wouldn't forgive you!' she snapped before taking a deep breath. 'Look, I know you want to look after us; you want to look after all of us. That's where this system of looking out for each other came from in the first place.' Iyla brushed gently at his head wound. 'But, even if you'd saved us, what about everyone else?'

Merlin nodded. 'I know. But... even now, with you telling me I was right to say no, I can't help but feel it was the wrong decision.'

Iyla leant forward, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Merlin leant forward, intending to reclaim her lips, but she laughed and pushed him away. 'We will get out of here, Merlin,' she smiled. 'And then we can have our life together.'

'Yeah,' Merlin smiled. They fell into silence as Iyla rinsed the cloth, and turned to the shallow cut on his throat. 'Where's Hayley?'

'With Felicia,' Iyla answered, glancing up at his face. 'They're dividing up the food and handing it out.'

'Any note worthy news today?'

'Nothing new,' she shrugged. 'The rest of the slaves divided up according to the rota. I was in the laundry room with Hayley today, which was nice. It's good to spend time with her,' she smiled.

Merlin nodded, leaning back against the wall.

Following his proposal of dividing up the work and food equally, he'd become something of a ring leader amongst the slaves. His and Iyla's relationship had blossomed to the point where everyone knew they were together. Despite their attempts to hide it from the guards, word had gotten to Malum, thought they shouldn't have been surprised. As of yet, Malum hadn't physically used Iyla or Hayley against him. And, all thought he knew it could happen at any time, he was relishing in the fact it hadn't happened yet.

The door banged open, and somebody hit the floor in front of them. Iyla gasped, and jerked backwards, Merlin instinctively wrapping his arms around her.

The man was instantly on his feet, banging against the bars of the cell.

And Merlin recognised the mop of shaggy hair.

He was on his feet in an instant, slowly approaching him from behind. He couldn't believe his eyes.

'Gwaine?'

The man froze, before turning slowly. His eyes widened as he took in all of Merlin's wounds, his bare chest and feet, the blood that still covered half of his face.

And then he let out a breath, so quiet, he would have missed it if he hadn't been listening for it.

'Merlin...'

**XxX**

**Cliffie! Sorry, I couldn't resist! **

**I have got so much work due in this week, as it's the last week of term, so the update may not come till next Saturday... But who knows! If you leave me lots and lots of lovely reviews, I may get around to it a lot sooner. No bribery, or anything. ;) **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	14. Broken Trust

**200 Reviews people! Thank you so much! And thank you to fireball1012, for being the 200****th**** Reviewer! **

**So, I will be trying for a double update again this weekend! First one tonight, second one tomorrow after MERLIN, and then, if I'm **_**really**_ **in the mood, I might even get a third chapter done Monday night! But that might be pushing it... **

**Lots of angst, bromance, and a bit of Merlin/Iyla in this chapter. I need a combination of their two names... Like Arwen and Freylin... So any suggestions would be good! **

**Enough rambling now... Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Broken Trust

The two men stood, staring at each other with wide eyes. Merlin's mind had gone blank.

How could Gwaine be here? Was he alone, or had there been other Knights captured at the same time?

Was Arthur here too?

'Gods Merlin...' the Warlock was snapped back to reality and refocused his gaze on Gwaine. The Knight had broken eye contact; instead, he was looking Merlin up and down, taking in all of his wounds, both fresh and healed. 'What the hell did they do to you?'

Merlin blinked and, suddenly, felt a great rush of anger and annoyance towards to older man.

What right did he have to enquire about Merlin's well-being? He hadn't cared before; hadn't been there before. Not when Merlin had desperately needed a friend and they had all left him. When he'd needed someone to be there for him.

And, suddenly, Merlin felt no desire to explain the last six months to the man he'd once called friend.

'What are you doing here, Gwaine?' Merlin asked, his tone bitter.

Gwaine looked surprised. 'I was captured by these... whoever they are. Same as you, I guess.'

'Are you alone?'

'Yes.'

'Why weren't you with the others?'

'Damn it, Merlin!' Gwaine snapped. 'What does it matter? I'm here, they're not. Now tell me what they did to you!'

Merlin's eyes narrowed. 'You'll be glad to know that you and Camelot aren't the only ones that hate me.'

'Hate you?' All the fight suddenly left the older man, his shoulders slumping. 'Merlin... we don't hate you.'

'Oh really?' Merlin gave a harsh laugh. 'That's not the impression I got the day I was driven from my home!'

'You were gone by the time I...'

'What?' Merlin snarled, cutting Gwaine off. 'By the time you what?'

Gwaine swallowed heavily, and Merlin noticed a slight glisten on the other man's forehead. 'Came to say goodbye.'

Merlin froze, shock replacing the roaring anger he'd previously experienced. 'Good bye? You mean... you came? The morning I was supposed to leave?'

Gwaine nodded. 'Yeah. Me, Gwen, Percival and Elyan. Gaius broke down when he realised why we were there; he was so upset that you thought we didn't care enough to even come see you. Gwen wasn't much better. Took a whole day to convince her to come out of her room, and Arthur...'

'Don't.'

Gwaine stopped, frowning at the Warlock in front of him. 'What?'

'Don't talk about Arthur. I don't want to hear it.'

'But...'

'No!'

'You really need to hear this...'

'I don't care, Gwaine!' Merlin yelled. Behind him, Iyla jumped to her feet, gesturing for Felicia to keep Hayley away. 'Arthur took _everything_ from me! Do you want to know how long I've been here? Do you?' Gwaine gulped. 'They caught me on the fourth day.'

'The fourth...' Gwaine's eyes shimmered, but Merlin was too furious to care about the tears sliding down the Knight's face. 'You've been here six months?'

'Yep!' Merlin waved his hands up in a uncaring gesture. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and relaxed slightly under Iyla's touch. 'I've been here the whole time. I just... I can't find it in me to care anymore. I have more important things on my mind.'

He turned away, shrugging Iyla's hand off his shoulder so that he could wrap his arm around hers, taking her hand in his. She gave him a small smile, which he tried to return, but he could tell she didn't believe him by the look in her eyes.

'I'll half mine with Gwaine tonight,' he muttered. 'We can divide it more evenly tomorrow.'

'Are you sure?' Iyla whispered back, her eyes full of concern. He nodded, and Iyla sighed, leading him back to their spot.

'I was looking for you!' Merlin turned, his eyes meeting Gwaine's, so open and desperate, wanting to be heard. 'Your question; why I was out there alone. I was out looking for you; I was three days too late to save you, mate, and I haven't stopped looking since. I never stopped looking.'

Merlin felt his anger subside, and his gaze softened. 'Get some rest, Gwaine. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.'

XxX

Gwaine sat alone, half hidden by the shadows of their cell. He watched as his fellow prisoners moved around the space, interacting with each other and sharing food and water. A young girl, no older than 13 years old, had brought him his share, and he'd thanked her before he began to eat. She hadn't stayed and the Knight had noticed her stop in front of Merlin and his companion before returning to the woman who was sorting out the remaining food and blankets.

Merlin, himself, was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, whilst the girl appeared to be treating the knife wounds across his chest. The only time he stirred was to give the girl a smile, whilst his friend talked to her in a low voice.

Not including himself, there had to be at least 12 other prisoners in this cell. And, from what Merlin had said earlier, he had to guess that there were other cells with other prisoners around here somewhere.

And, to Gwaine, that could only mean one kind of captor.

Slave traders.

Merlin had been left in the hands of slave traders, alone and afraid for six months.

Well, Gwaine thought with a slight grin as the girl gave Merlin a gentle kiss, not _that_ alone.

Only Merlin could be banished, kidnapped, enslaved, and tortured, and still manage to fall in love.

XxX

The Warlock felt tired. Tired and sore.

Iyla had helped him as much as she could, and the cold water had done wonders in numbing his pain, but not as much as it had in the beginning. He was growing too accustomed to the pain. Hayley had brought him some food that he had forced himself to eat. Not for the first time, Merlin was glad to share his food with others. It would probably have gone to waste, otherwise.

The other slaves were beginning to settle now, and Hayley came over with a blanket, curling up next to Iyla, who, in turn, was next to Merlin. The comfort of having them both there was almost enough to soothe the ache he felt in his chest. But it was an ache he hadn't even realised he had until Gwaine re-opened those old wounds.

Merlin hadn't thought about Arthur and the Knights for a very long time. He couldn't afford too. There was too much at stake, and too many people relying on him for him to think about his past life. They needed him, and, in a way, he needed them.

Most people said that becoming a slave gave you a reason to give up.

_But not for me_, Merlin thought with a smile as Iyla shifted beneath the blanket, settling her head against his shoulder.

He glanced up and saw Gwaine watching him from across the cell. Merlin sighed, and gently slid his arm out from underneath Iyla's head. She sighed in her sleep, but barely moved as he lowered her to the ground, before limping over to where Gwaine was sat. The adrenalin from their earlier fight had worn off.

'I'm sorry about earlier,' Merlin whispered as he slid to the floor with a slight grimace. Gwaine gave him a sympathetic look.

'I won't mention Camelot again, if you tell me what happened to you.'

The Warlock shrugged. 'This is a slave traders hide out. Their leader, Malum, specialises in... _training_ people like me. He enjoys causing people pain, and testing his sorcerers, seeing how long they last. So far, I top the leader board at six months. The longest period before me was three. The rest of them are trained until they are ready for sale, then moved on. Except a few special cases.'

'Like your friend over there.' Gwaine grinned slightly as he gestured to where Iyla and Hayley were sleeping, and Merlin couldn't help but smile back.

'Yeah. Iyla and Hayley have become my whole world here. I don't care about anything else, except their safety. Them and the other slaves. So they kept those two to keep me in line. Then they keep Felicia, who Hayley's also close with, and Jerestin, who nobody particularly likes.'

Gwaine snorted at that, and the two shared the moment before the Knight's eyes turned serious again. 'Have they hurt them?'

'Only when they do something wrong,' Merlin whispered, staring at the ground. 'I try and stop it whenever I can, but the rotas we've set up mean we aren't together as much as I would like; I can't protect her as much as I should be able to.'

'Hey,' Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder, and jumped slightly at the contact. He turned to Gwaine, who was staring at him. 'They're alive, and pretty well off considering their slaves. You've done a terrific job.'

Merlin shook his head. 'We're still here, Gwaine. I promised I would save them, but we're still here.'

'I'm a Knight of the Realm,' Gwaine leant back, looking pleased. 'Arthur... The King,' he corrected, seeing the stony look in Merlin's eyes, 'will want his favourite Knight back.'

'I though Leon was the favourite.'

'Oi!' Merlin ducked, and felt his heart warm at the easy banter between them. Something else he'd missed without realising it. 'Come on, sooner or later we're going to be found, we're going to be rescued, and you can claim all the credit with your lady friend over there.'

He rolled his eyes, and the two fell into a comfortable silence. On the other side of the room, Iyla moved, her eyes flickering open as she looked around. Merlin smiled slightly.

'I know this is hell, and the last place you'd ever want to be, but, Gwaine...' He paused, making sure he had his friend's attention. 'I'm glad you're here.'

Gwaine smiled. 'I told you, mate. I've been looking for you for the past six months. Now I've found you, and I don't plan on letting you out of my sight for a very long time.'

Merlin laughed, as he stood. 'Get some rest. I'm sure our hosts will have some lovely errands for you to run tomorrow.'

'I look forward to it.'

And with one last smile, Merlin returned to his place beside Iyla, curling up beside her.

He was still angry with Gwaine. It would take more than five minutes of heart to heart to forgive the Knight, but it was a start.

And Gwaine being here meant search parties. And search parties meant hope.

And, for the first time in several months, Merlin felt the warmth in his chest that allowed him to believe, even for a moment, that he would, one day, be free.

**XxX**

**Please, please, **_**please**_** leave a review before you go! I'm on half term now, so, whilst I am working a few days, and have **_**lots**_ **of holiday homework, I should have more time to write! And I'd love to know what you'd love to see in coming chapters! After all, that's how Gwaine ended up being captured too! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	15. Realisation

**Not as long tonight, and it doesn't include Merlin's POV, although there's a lovely Merlin/Iyla moment at the end for anyone who enjoys that pairing. **

**Also... MERLIN WAS AMAZING! **

**Sorry, had to get that out there. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Realisation

He'd been having these dreams for months now.

Most of the time they were completely random; voices he didn't recognise, faces he'd never seen before, and, occasionally, he'd felt pain. A searing pain, like nothing he'd ever felt before.

But when he woke, there were no wounds. No voices and no faces. And so he put it down to stress, trying to ignore the nagging doubt he'd felt in the pit of his stomach continuously for the past six months.

Tonight, however... Tonight was different.

Tonight he recognised the face in front of him, that observed him with such pain and worry. He knew the voice that spoke to him, telling him that he'd never let him out of his sight again. And he finally understood what was happening.

So when the King woke in a sweat in the middle of the night, bolt upright in his bed, with his wife sleeping peacefully beside him, he knew what had happened.

Someone was holding Merlin prisoner. And, whoever they were, they now had Gwaine, too.

XxX

'Are you sure?'

Arthur let out a frustrated growl, slamming his hands onto the table. Gwen didn't flinch. He forced himself to take a deep breath, before turning back to face her.

'It fits, Guinevere. Gaius told us about the bond Merlin and I share; forged by destiny and all that. He's in pain, and he needs help. That's what these dreams are about.'

Gwen watched him for a moment, before nodding her head. 'OK, so what do we do?'

The King stared at the piece of paper in front of him. 'They were taken six months apart... Who would do something like that? If all these dreams have been related, and all are extracts from whatever Merlin's seeing at the time, then it's a lot of random people... And only five are consistent. The rest come and go.'

The Queen slid into the seat opposite him, gesturing for him to sit down. 'Tell me about these recurring people.'

He bit his lip, trying to remember for a moment. 'There's a guy. He's snotty, and mean, but he's never hurt Merlin, from what I can make out. They just really don't get along.'

Gwen laughed. 'I can't imagine Merlin not getting along with someone.'

Arthur chuckled, before turning back to the parchment in front of him. 'But the other guy... He does hurt Merlin. I don't remember much from those ones, I normally wake up because of the pain...'

She reached out to touch his hand, giving it a gentle pat.

'There's a woman, mid-thirties, nice, but stern. Tells him off a bit. She looks after this little girl, about twelve years old, who worships his every word.'

'And the fifth?'

Arthur frowned. 'I'm not sure... It gets cloudy. It's another woman, younger than the first. I hear her voice, but I can't make out what she's saying, and I see her face, but I can't make out any details... She's just there.'

Again, Gwen nodded. 'OK. Five recurring people, one evil, four not. Everyone else changes... Quite often?'

'Yes.'

Gwen swallowed. 'Arthur... Could it be the slave traders?'

Arthur's heart leapt into his mouth and he had to force himself to calm down. 'Oh god, Gwen... It is, isn't it? Merlin and Gwaine were taken by the slave traders...'

XxX

Gwaine came out the haze of sleep to the feel of someone attempting to shake him awake. He attempted to bat them away, but a frantic voice in his ear finally broke through the fog in his mind.

'... to get up! They'll be here soon, and if you don't wake up, they'll beat you on your first day!'

Gwaine groaned and opened his eyes. It took a moment for them to focus, and he jumped at how close the cerulean blues were to his face.

'Gah!'

'That's more like it!' Merlin smirked, sitting back on his haunches.

'What the hell?' The Knight snapped, but the Warlock just looked at him. Eventually, Gwaine gave in and sat up. 'What's going on?'

'They'll be here soon. You go with Hayley and Felicia today. They do laundry, so there are few guards, and they can give you the layout of the land.' At Gwaine's vacant expression, Merlin gestured to the woman and little girl, who were passing around a water skin. 'Felicia and Iyla keep track of where everyone's supposed to be, so she'll tell you where you go on what days.'

Gwaine nodded, and stood up, helping Merlin to his feet. 'What about you?'

'I'm scrubbing the floor in the dungeons today. No doubt my lovely session with Malum yesterday left a mess they'll be eager for me to clean up.'

'Malum?' Gwaine repeated. 'Is that the name of the guy that did this to you?'

The Warlock nodded sadly, as the door opened. Everyone scrambled into a line as the guards entered.

'Move it!'

They all filed out, Gwaine behind the woman Felicia. In front of him, he saw the girl from the night before slip her hand into Merlin's briefly and give it a squeeze.

The Knight let a ghost of a smile pass across his face, before he set off after the Felicia, heading down to the laundry room.

XxX

'What are we going to do?'

'Why aren't we out there already?'

'What was he doing out there alone, anyway?'

Arthur sat with his hand pressed lightly against his head as his Knights shouted and argued across the table at the news that one of their own had been taken by the slave traders.

'Enough!' They fell silent as Arthur stood. 'Enough. Gwaine was on his own, on a task I set him several months ago, _before_ we started tracking these slave traders. Being Gwaine, he refused to give in till he'd completed the task.' Several of his Knights chuckled at that, and Arthur allowed himself a small smile. 'What matters now is that we track down these mercenaries, and we get our comrade back. Thankfully, I know roughly where Gwaine was when he was taken. I'm sending out a small patrol to investigate the area. With luck, we'll come across something that can lead us to him.

'Leon, I want you to lead. Take whoever you require, just be subtle.'

'Yes, my Lord.' Leon bowed, and glanced around the table. Without a word, Percival, Elyan, Ordwin and Galahad followed him from the room. Mordred made to go to, but Arthur held him back.

'You're one of my most competent Knights, Sir Mordred. I need you to assume control of the trainees with Sir Rupert whilst I am away.'

'Of course, My Lord,' Mordred smiled and bowed. Arthur hesitated at the look in his youngest Knight's eyes, but shook it off.

'Thank you.' He turned to the rest of the Knights. 'The rest of you; be prepared to move out at the slightest hint. Every second counts now, and Gwaine's life depends on it.'

XxX

Gwaine flexed his stiff fingers before reaching for the next shirt. 'You do this every day?'

'Yep!' Hayley nodded, rinsing out a pair of socks and hanging them on the line. 'It's our thing.'

'Your thing?'

'Every chore has at least one person who does it continuously; to show the new _trainees_ what to do,' Felicia explained. 'And each cell sends their trainees with a specific person on the first day.'

'It was Merlin's idea,' Hayley smiled.

Gwaine nodded. 'Of course. That's how things were run in Camelot.'

'So you _were_ in Camelot!' Hayley settled next to him, watching him with wide eyes. Felicia laughed.

'She's lived off of Merlin's stories. Her favourite's called "The Eye Of The Phoenix".'

'You were in it,' Hayley smiled as she took Gwaine's shirt off of him, hanging that up. 'King Arthur goes on this quest to the Perilous Lands to retrieve a trident, but he's poisoned by a magical bracelet, given to him by his evil half sister.'

The Knight laughed. 'I don't remember any magical bracelet, but the rest of that story I'm pretty clear on,' he grinned at her.

They fell into silence as the door opened, and another slave deposited another basket in the room.

'Who's Iyla?' Gwaine ventured, once the door was securely locked once again.

Hayley giggled, and Felicia rolled her eyes. 'The girl Merlin was with last night. They're sort of a couple.'

'Ah, Gwaine smiled. 'So that's her name...'

Again, Felicia just rolled her eyes and threw a wet sock at him. 'Back to work!' she smiled as Hayley laughed. 'We have to get this done by tonight, or there will be hell to pay.'

XxX

Despite the fact it was late by the time he got back to the cell, Merlin was nowhere to be seen. His girlfriend, Iyla, was there, though, and she was pacing frantically.

'Are you OK?'

She jumped, before relaxing as he approached. 'Yeah... just worried.'

'About Merlin?'

She nodded. 'It doesn't matter what job he does, he's always one of the last back to the cell. It takes him longer, because of his injuries, you see.'

A sob escaped her, and Gwaine, feeling there was nothing else he could do, wrapped his arms around her.

They stood like that until the door banged open, and she jumped away from him. 'Merlin!'

Merlin gave her a weak smile, blood streaming from his nose, as Iyla threw herself at him. He staggered back from the impact, but gladly embraced her, taking a deep breath. She drew back, clutching his face between her hands. 'What happened?'

'I spilt a bit of water when I put the bucket down, so they kicked me.'

Iyla bit her lip, before retrieving a piece of cloth from a bowl of water Gwaine hadn't noticed until now. She gently dabbed at his nose, wiping away the blood. Gwaine, feeling that he was intruding on a personal moment, turned away, heading over to where Felicia was dividing up the food.

_Hurry, Arthur..._

**XxX**

**So? How was that? **

**Thank you for all your amazing reviews! I didn't reply because I knew I was updating tonight, so I'll reply to them all in one go tomorrow. **

**So, please leave a review! **

**I'll update asap, but my teachers don't know the meaning of the word **_**holiday**_**... And I have lots of deadlines, especially now I've received my first conditional from Uni! :D Yay! So, yeah. Lots of work to do. But hoping to update on Monday; we'll see. **

**Have a fab weekend and don't forget to review! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	16. Running Out Of Time

**It's late! I'm so sorry, but I've had so much work to do the past week or so! **

**Anyway, here it is at last! Just a note that this **_**is**_ **the build up to the next chapter. There is a quite a lot of dialogue in this, and some might find the scenes with Merlin upsetting. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Running Out Of Time

The Knight slipped through the forest, his boots barely making a sound in the crisp, evening air. He kept his eyes flitted through the trees.

He'd been taken by surprise last time, and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

He took another step forward and whirled around, his sword out, clashing against the dagger that had been descending towards his back.

Morgana smiled. 'You are improving.'

'You are a good teacher,' Mordred replied, withdrawing his sword.

'And you are a flatterer,' she laughed, moving away from him, her black cloak sweeping behind her. 'Is there a reason behind this visit, or did you just want to practise your swordsmanship and charm?"

His smile dropped and the witch frowned at him.

'What has happened?'

'Our _friends_,' he growled, 'have made a rather stupid mistake?' Her eyes narrowed. 'They have captured one of the Knights of Camelot.'

'Fools!' Morgana hissed. 'Now Arthur will stop at nothing until he brings them down. Which Knight did they take?'

Mordred took a deep breath, before answering her quietly. 'Sir Gwaine.'

She let out a frustrated snarl, leaning against one of the trees, her back to her companion. 'Is Merlin still alive?'

'As far as I know.'

'Then Arthur will have his Warlock back within the month.' Mordred had never seen her look so defeated.

'Even if they find him,' Mordred spoke, a thought forming in his mind. 'He will be too broken to be of any use.'

'And if he is not?'

The Knight shrugged, his eyes meeting Morgana's. 'Then I'll deal with him once he returns to Camelot.'

XxX

Arthur leant over the map, surveying it closely.

Leon had returned, with a rough estimate of the location in which Gwaine had been abducted. They'd marked it on the map, and were now trying to figure out the most likely location for the slave traders' base.

They would have to have a large territory, big enough so nobody would notice their "business", for lack of a better word. But they would also need a large, central location where the slaves were held and stored.

That's what Jarl had done, when Arthur had been captured all those years ago. At this, Arthur had to swallow heavily. Both Gwaine and Merlin had been with him on that occasion. This time, neither of them would be by his side.

Arthur shook his head, glancing at his second in command. Most of his Knights would still be there. And they _were_ going to rescue Gwaine_ and_ Merlin. And then they'd be a team, just like they used to be.

'This seems to be the most likely location,' Leon was saying, pointing to a large plot of land owned by one of Camelot's less important Lords.

'What makes you say that?'

Galahad placed his gloves on the table, pointing to marked circle near the main castle. 'This is a set of ruins that Lord Byron claims has been abandoned for many years. It's within a days' ride of the location of Gwaine's abduction, and patrols have reported suspicious activity in that area before.'

'Why was I not informed of this sooner?'

'We did not have enough evidence to conduct a search of the location.'

Arthur let out a frustrated growl. 'We are searching for a gang of villains who believe it is within their right to sell other human beings for profit. We don't need proof when there are lives at stake!'

'Of course, My Lord,' Leon turned to Ordwin. 'Prepare the horses.'

Ordwin looked to Arthur, who nodded. 'Send for Gaius and the Queen as well. If there are slaves, they are going to need medical attention. Leon, I need you to remain here and take charge whilst I'm away.'

'Yes, Sire,' Leon bowed. The Knights all nodded their heads to their king, before leaving to make their own travel arrangements.

Arthur looked back at the map, his eyes finding the circle on the page. 'Got you,' Arthur smiled.

XxX

Merlin grunted slightly as he raised himself off the ground, trying to keep his back as straight as possible. Gwaine was by his side in an instant, looping one of his friend's arms around his shoulder and helping him over to wall.

'Where's Iyla? Where's Hayley?'

'Shhh,' The Knight whispered, lowering him to the ground. 'They were both in the laundry room today, That always takes a bit more time, but they'll be back soon. You just rest.'

The Warlock grunted as he lay back against the wall, a tear sliding down his face, and Gwaine felt his heart throb.

'I'll kill them. I swear, the minute I get my hands on him...'

'No.' Merlin's voice was so quiet that Gwaine barely heard him.

'What?'

'You...' Merlin swallowed thickly, and the Knight hurried to grab him some water. He took a few gentle sips, before speaking again. 'You have to look after them. Please, Gwaine...'

Gwaine frowned slightly, before horror took over his expression, as he realised what Merlin was asking of him. 'No! No, you can't give in, Merlin. You and Iyla have plans; you're going to get married, and have kids, and have a good life! You still have so much to do!'

'I'm trying,' Merlin whispered. 'I really am. I have to be strong, but if... If something happens, Gwaine, I need to know someone's going to take of them. If I die, he won't need them anymore. You have... you have to promise me...'

The Knight let out a soft sob, his hand reaching out to clutch his friends', before he nodded his head. 'I promise.'

Merlin smiled, tiredly, leaning his head back against the wall, and closing his eyes.

The door opened, and there was a slight scuffle as Hayley and Iyla hurried into the room. Gwaine shuffled backwards as the two girls rushed to Merlin's side, where he greeted them with his usual lop-sided grin. 'How are my girls?'

'Better than you,' Iyla sighed, as placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing him forward so she could look at his back. 'What happened this time?'

'I'm fine,' Merlin forced out, as she began to treat his wounds. 'It's nothing new, Iyla; you know that by now.'

Gwaine turned to the little girl, who was watching them with tears in her eyes. 'Shall we get them some food?' Hayley nodded and they moved away, leaving the couple alone.

Iyla touched Merlin's face gently, wiping away tear. 'How much longer can you take this before you break, Merlin?'

'Everything's going to be alright.'

'That's not what I asked.' Merlin sighed.

'I don't know, Iyla. I'm trying. For you and Hayley, I'm trying. And we have Gwaine now.'

She nodded, as she began to tend his back once again. The Warlock flinched slightly, but slowly began to relax. He let his head drop onto hers, and felt her chuckle slightly as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

XxX

The group slowed to a halt as the darkness began to roll in, forcing them to stop and make camp. The King stood on the edge of the ring of trees, staring down the path that would lead them to Byron's land.

He felt a small, warm hand slide into his, and smiled down at his wife as she came to stand beside him.

'Are you alright?'

'Worried about Gwaine.'

The unspoken _and Merlin_ wasn't missed, but she chose not to comment on that. Gwen gave him a gentle smile. 'He's a tough nut to crack. He'll be fine.'

'It's been nearly a week, and slavers aren't the kindest of people.' _God knows how long Merlin's been there..._

'Then we heal him,' she gripped his hand tighter. 'You brought Gaius and myself along; you know that we'll be able to care for him if the worst comes to the worst.' She meant Merlin; he knew she did.

Arthur smiled down at his wife. 'I have every faith in you,' he whispered, leaning down to give her a kiss.

A chorus of approving murmurs came from the group of Knights around the fire. Arthur laughed slightly.

'It looks like they approve of George's cooking.'

She followed his gaze, and couldn't help but giggle at the burly Knights, who were all shoving for a bowl of broth.

'Let's eat before they take it all.'

And, together, they made their way back to the centre of the camp.

XxX

_He could hear screams; somebody was crying. _

_He turned his head, and saw the girl, with Gwaine's arms wrapped tightly around her, restraining her as she sobbed, her knees buckling. _

_Someone was gripping his arms, and the pressure hurt, but not as much as the pounding of his heart. _

_There was someone else there too, being held by two of the guards. It was a woman, but he couldn't make out her features. She was silent as they dragged her forward, and then his arms were yanked backwards and they began to move..._

"Arthur..."

_He was scared for her; these people were going to hurt her and there was nothing he could do to save her. The panic was gripping his chest, making is near impossible to breathe..._

"Arthur..!"

_No! No, this couldn't be happening. Fear was clouding his mind, and he began to fight his captors, the desperation taking over..._

"Arthur!"

Arthur sat bolt upright, his chest heaving as he sucked in lung full's of the cold, fresh air. Gwen was kneeling beside him, her eyes wide.

'Are you OK?'

He shook his head, trying to calm his breathing. 'What happened?'

She bit her lip. 'You were having a nightmare. I had to wake you up.'

The King took another shuddering breath, before nodding his head. 'I'm alright.'

'Was it Merlin, again?'

'Yes.'

'Do you want to talk about it?'

Arthur glanced at her, before returning his gaze to the forest floor. 'He's scared. Somebody's in danger. Not Gwaine,' he added quickly, at the look on her face. 'He was there, but he didn't look like he was in any trouble. It's someone else; someone he cares about. I don't know what's going to happen to them, but Merlin's terrified.'

Gwen rubbed the back of his hand in a soothing gesture. 'What can we do, Arthur?'

'We break camp at dawn,' Arthur said, his voice taking on his official tone. 'We don't waste anymore time in reaching Lord Byron's lands. Merlin and Gwaine are going to be free, or we die trying.'

XxX

The crash roused them all from their slumber. Merlin bolted upright, immediately moving away from Iyla and Hayley.

He knew why they were here.

The Warlock scrambled to his feet as the guard grabbed his arm, pulling them back in a vice like grip that caused his bruises to throb painfully.

A scream caught his attention, and Merlin whirled around.

The sight that greeted him caused his heart to clench.

Two guards had seized Iyla, and her face was frozen with fear. Gwaine had grabbed Hayley, keeping her back as the guards began to drag Iyla from the room, Merlin close behind.

And the sheer horror of what was happening made Merlin want to cry.

'No!'

Iyla shook her head as they were lead down the corridor, but still Merlin fought.

This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening.

'Leave her alone!'

'Merlin...' she whispered, but then she was gone, shoved through the door into the room that had become Merlin's own private hell. He couldn't share it with her. She couldn't know what happened behind that door.

'Please!'

But now Merlin was inside the room, being bound to his usual chair. Iyla's wrists were chained to the ceiling manacles, and she whimpered slightly as the guard tugged on them to check they were secure.

'Please, no...' Merlin whispered brokenly, as the guards left them alone.

Her terrified gaze found his, and he could tell how she was trying, desperately, not to cry.

'I'm sorry,' his voice echoed around the room. 'Iyla, I'm so sorry.'

'It's not your fault,' her voice cracked a little, but she lifted her head high, trying to be strong. This only made his heart ache more.

They waited in silence, Merlin expecting to hear the sorcerer approaching them at any minute, but no sound came. Malum wasn't even hiding in the shadows, like he sometimes did.

'Merlin...' He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. 'What happens now?'

'I don't know, Iyla,' he whispered, his own eyes filling with tears. 'I really don't know...'

**XxX**

**Please don't hurt me! I have even more work to get done this week, but, as soon as I have a free moment, I will get the next chapter written and published. **

**Reviews always help! I am so sorry to everyone I haven't replied to, I keep getting distracted. But I'll try and reply this week, especially to anyone with any ideas about what happens next or what they want to see happen next. So let me know your ideas! **

**TTFN  
Valkyirexx**


	17. The Pain in the Heart

**Not as quick as I would have liked, but still updated within two days! Am I forgiven for the last chapter? The title of this chapter is a rip-off from one of the saddest Bones episodes so far "The Hole In The Heart", so sorry to anyone who really likes that series and...**

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, and to those who have made requests, none will be appearing in this chapter, but they will be coming up very soon! **

**Warning! Major angst, hurt/comfort between Merlin and Iyla**

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

**The Pain In the Heart**

They were alone in the darkness. They had been for some time.

Iyla had stopped shooting him worried, terrified looks now, but he couldn't slow his own heartbeat at the thought of what Malum was going to do to her.

He'd feared this was going to happen, but he hadn't been ready for it when it had; they should have been more discrete in their relationship. At least the sorcerer had decided to leave Hayley alone... for the time being.

'Whatever happens...'

Merlin looked up as Iyla trailed off. She swallowed, but Merlin got the message.

'I can't make that promise.'

'There's more than just my life at stake here, Merlin.'

'I know that,' he whispered, his voice carrying in the dark room. 'Please, Iyla, I know what happens if I give in. But I can't promise that I won't do something stupid to save you.'

'You have Hayley to think about,' she argued. 'I love you, Merlin. And I know you love me. But we have Hayley, and the others to think about as well. You can't give up... just for me.'

He turned his head away. 'I can't lose you...'

Iyla gave him a sad smile, tears beginning to spill for her eyes. 'You won't.'

The door opened, and a shadow fell across the gloom. Merlin gulped, twisting to look before turning back to her. 'Be strong; we'll do this together.'

She nodded, and closed her eyes. Merlin sat up straight, fixing Malum's dark eyes with a glare as the sorcerer finally came into view.

XxX

Arthur reigned in his horse, drawing the group to a halt.

'We make camp here. We need an infirmary set up as quickly as possible, before we ride out.'

The Knights nodded, and began to dismount, gathering up the necessary supplies. Arthur looked to his wife as she helped Gaius arrange the stretchers on the ground, ready for any wounded. He hoped they wouldn't be needed, but his gut told him otherwise.

He knew Merlin was in trouble.

'We move out within the hour!'

Leon nodded his head, and relayed the order. Arthur looked out from where he stood, hidden by the trees and over-looking a crumbling fortress that lay bare for the world to see.

XxX

Merlin let out a grunt of pain as Malum smashed his fist into the side of his face. He heard Iyla sob, but he had to ignore her. He slowly turned his head back to face Malum, glaring at the sorcerer.

'Can you see her, Merlin?'

The Warlock held his torturers gaze as the other man laughed at him, baring his yellow teeth.

'Can you hear her cries?'

'You're sick,' Merlin hissed.

Malum threw back his head in a howl of laughter. 'Oh, how many times have we had this argument?' He turned away, his eyes fixing on Iyla. He glanced over his shoulder, winking at Merlin, before making his way towards her. 'Is this beautiful creature the reason you've kept fighting me, even after you lost everything?'

He reached out, running a hand through her hair. Iyla shuddered, and jerked away from his grasp. Merlin snarled, dangerously. 'Don't you dare touch her!'

The sorcerer ignored him, and continued to stroke her beautiful blonde hair. Iyla caught his eyes, and gave a tiny shake of her head, but Malum saw it. He wrenched her head back, causing her to cry out in pain.

'No!'

'You listen to me, _sweetheart_,' he hissed. 'Because you don't seem to understand how this works. _I give the instructions in here_,' he whispered dangerously, before backhanding her across the face.

'Stop it!' Merlin screamed as Iyla gasped, tears running down her face. 'Please...'

'Will you concede? Swear your allegiance, give up your powers to your master, and she, the little girl and the Knight go free.'

_Not Gwaine too..._ Merlin couldn't breathe. He couldn't let them suffer for his mistakes; he had to help them...

But then he saw Iyla's face; her beautiful, pale skin that glowed in the darkness, her eyes shimmering with tears. Malum had released her hair, and was now stood in front of her. And she was shaking her head.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, before allowing his face to morph into a cold mask. 'No.'

Malum's black eyes shimmered, and he picked up his knife from where it lay discarded on the floor. 'So be it.'

The sorcerer turned to face Iyla, the knife gleaming against the dull lantern that hung from the ceiling. Merlin's eyes widened in horror as he approached her, the blade coming far too close to her soft skin...

'Wait...' Malum ignored him, his approach agonizingly slow. 'Wait! Please, don't...!'

Iyla leant backwards, trying to escape the blade. Merlin began to wrestle with the bonds, tying him to the chair.

'Stop! Stop it!'

'Merlin...' her terrified whisper barely reached his ears, abut it wrenched at his heart all the same.

The blade pressed against her flash... 'No!'

The door burst open.

'My Lord!'

Malum wrenched the blade away from her throat, and both Merlin and Iyla let out gasps of breath.

'What?' The sorcerer roared, turning on the guard that had entered the room.

'You are needed in the main castle.'

He let out a frustrated snarl, before tossing the knife to the ground. 'I'll be back for you later, _sweetheart_,' he growled, capturing Iyla's face in his hand.

Merlin let out an angry hiss, as the cruel man finally released her, and swept from the room. As soon as the door closed, Iyla began to sob.

XxX

It took several minutes for her to get her breathing back under control, and when she did, she kept her head down, staring at the floor.

'Thank you...'

Iyla raised her head, looking at him incredulously. 'What?'

Merlin shook his head. 'This is all my fault... he's going to hurt you. As soon as he gets back, he's going to hurt you, and I can't save you.'

'Merlin, none of this is your fault!'

'Yes...'

'No,' she glared at him. 'No, this is Malum's fault. Malum is the one threatening both you and me; he is the one threatening Hayley and Gwaine. You are so strong, Merlin, and I can't ruin that for you. Please... No matter what he does, please don't give in.'

He looked into her eyes, her crystal clear eyes... He loved her too much. Her pain would be his own, but it was something they would face together. She had tended to him, and now he would look after her. They were a team. And, no matter what, he could never let her down.

The door opened again, and they both looked round expectantly, but it wasn't the sorcerer.

Three guards entered the room, their faces shielded by helmets. One of them hesitated when he saw Merlin bound to the chair, but the other two didn't falter, untying both him and Iyla, forcing them to their feet.

'What's going on?'

'We need to move,' one of the guard's said. Merlin frowned, recognising the man's voice, but the Warlock shook it off. He'd probably heard the guard yelling at another slave at some point.

'Get your hands off her!'

The frozen guard seemed to snap out of his trance, and moved forward to take Merlin's other arm. The Warlock was surprised, but that didn't stop him lunging forward as the third guard began to lead Iyla from the room.

'Don't touch her!'

'Merlin...' Iyla pleaded as Merlin's guards forcibly restrained him, causing his back to explode with pain.

He whimpered slightly, before allowing himself to be guided from the room. Iyla kept turning back, but the guard would always move her on before she managed to reach him.

They reached the main passage to the cells, and were surprised to find it filled with slaves, all being herded towards the exit by a group of guards.

And there was Hayley, being led by Gwaine towards the door. Both Merlin and Iyla broke three of their captors, running to the pair. Iyla swept Hayley up into her arms as the girl burst into tears; Gwaine reached for Merlin, pulling him into a gentle hug, before they began to move forward again.

'What's going on?' Merlin whispered to his friend.

Gwaine bit his lip, glancing behind himself. 'They said something about a patrol. I think Arthur might be closing in on them, and they have to move us.'

'Is there a chance he'll find us before Malum takes us away?'

The Knight looked round at the guards, before shaking his head. 'These guys are so well organised, it'll be hard for Arthur to catch-up with them.'

'Get them moving!'

Merlin stumbled slightly, and Gwaine caught him, looping his friends arm around his shoulder. 'What did he do?'

'Punches, and stuffs,' Merlin muttered as they began to trudge down the corridor.

'And Iyla?'

The Warlock shook her head. 'The guards stopped him before he could do anything. He hit her, and pulled her hair, but they stopped him before he used the knife.'

'Thank god,' Gwaine breathed. 'Not for what he did to you, but at least she's OK.'

'I know,' Merlin nodded. 'I know.'

XxX

The guards led them into the trees, heading deep into the forest, away from the fortress. Merlin's breathing was growing heavier, and Gwaine kept shooting him concerned looks, but the Warlock simply shook his head. There was nothing the Knight could do; they couldn't stop, and Gwaine couldn't blatantly help him. He would just have to push on, and hope the mercenaries let them stop and rest soon.

One upside was that Malum was nowhere to be seen. He guessed that the sorcerer was up front with the rest of the leaders, and he was grateful for that.

The trees parted, revealing a clearing.

Merlin drew to a halt, Gwaine stumbling next to him, as he gaped at the surrounding area.

Stretchers were laid on the ground, several already occupied by slaves that he recognised.

The guards had discarded their helmets, and were moving amongst the beds, handing out water and food. On the edge of the clearing, another group of guards were tying up the mercenaries, alongside a Lord that Merlin recognised from his many council meetings.

And standing across from him, frozen with shock...

'Gaius...' Tears began falling down his face, and he felt a surge of adrenalin. The old man broke into a run, weaving between the stretchers. Merlin limped forward, barely making it ten steps from where Gwaine stood before his mentor had his arms around him. The Warlock broke down, burying face in the Physicians long hair.

'My boy...' Gaius whispered, stroking the back of his head. 'You're safe now; it's alright... you're safe...'

A gentle cough caught their attention, and Merlin reluctantly drew back, turning to face the man stood behind him.

He drew off his helmet, and the Warlock felt his heart clench. 'Arthur...'

**XxX**

***Peeks from behind laptop* was that ending OK? **

**Leave a review and let me know! **

**SPOILER: And don't worry those who think Merlin's going to forgive Arthur straight away. I'm not a fan of the overly quick bromance make up. There's still a lot to come in this story! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	18. The Rescue

**... I'm not talking to the BBC writers right now... That's all I'm going to say on the subject.**

**Onto other topics; 300 Reviews! Thank you so much, everyone and to reading-rider who was the 300****th**** Reviewer! Over 30 of them were for the last chapter alone! **

**So, here's the next chapter from Arthur's POV, with a smidgeon of Gaius thrown in at the end. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

The Rescue 

Arthur led the group of Knights up the passage towards the Lord's main castle.

The guards at the front door nodded as they walked past, and Arthur scowled at the lack of security. They weren't dressed in the Knights' uniform; as far as the guards knew, they could have been anyone. But, that was the point, he guessed. If Lord Byron truly was the slave trader, people would be coming and going often.

The small group made their way to the throne room, the King looked for obvious signs of slavery, but there were none to be seen. No Gwaine, no Merlin...

'Keep an eye out; if you see anything suspicious, let me know. We need to find them as quickly as possible.'

'Yes, Sire.'

Arthur pushed open the door, striding into the throne room.

Sat in a chair, at the head of a long table, was Lord Byron. He shot to his feet when he saw Arthur stood in the door way, dressed as a commoner.

'King Arthur, My Lord!

Arthur smiled coldly. 'Lord Byron, I hope we aren't intruding.'

'No,' the Lord shook his head frantically, glancing at his guards. 'Uh, please, leave us.'

'Actually, I think they should stay,' Arthur glared, and Byron gulped slightly. He gestured to the table, and the King sat down. The Knights, however, remained by the doors, preventing the guards from leaving.

Byron was looking down at the table, as Arthur stared at him. 'What can I do for you, Sire?'

'I have reason to suspect that you've taken something that doesn't belong to you, Lord Byron. Several things in fact.'

He heard the guards shifting behind him, and knew he had hit the mark.

'You believe me to be a thief, My Lord.'

'Call it what you will,' Arthur tilted his head slightly. 'You have been taking... _things_,' he emphasised the last word and saw the Lord flinch, 'that you have no right to take.'

'Like what?'

'Like people!' Arthur shouted, slamming his hands down on the table. 'Like one of my Knights, like my _best friend_!' He reached across the table, grabbing the twitchy, little man by his collar and yanking him forward off of his chair. The guards made to rush forward, but Arthur's own Knights were on them, wrestling them to the ground, with little commotion. '_Where are they_?' Arthur snarled.

'I don't know...'

'Rubbish,' Arthur spat, dropping the man. He hit the table with a thump, before scrambling backwards. 'Either you tell me where you are keeping your slaves, or...' He drew his knife from his belt. 'We do this the hard way.'

Byron's eyes bulged as he looked between his King's face and the knife in his hand.

'Alright...'

XxX

They had taken the guards uniform before they made their way to the half crumbling fortress that lay behind the main castle.

Arthur gritted his teeth behind the helmet as they descended into the darkness. There were few windows, and not nearly enough torches causing them to strain their eyes. They could hear men yelling, and, every so often, a cry of pain. Although it wasn't visible, Arthur knew his Knights were flinching, and had to marvel at their self control.

The plan was simple.

They were dressed in Lord Byron's uniform and they would convey a message from the Lord saying that a patrol had come to close, and the men involved were now asking questions. There would be a group of 'guards' waiting to escort them to the temporary location.

That was where they would all be arrested, and the slaves freed. Until that point, no one could know what they were doing.

Not even Merlin and Gwaine.

'Someone needs to go to Malum. He's with his sorcerer.'

Arthur's heart thudded. _His sorcerer_... Could he possibly mean...

'We'll go.' Leon volunteered, gesturing to himself, Sir Ordwin and Arthur. The guard they had spoken to nodded, and pointed them down a corridor.

Everything was going to according to plan.

The corridor was deserted as they strode down it, trying not to look too urgent in their gait, in case they came across someone.

'Stop! Stop it!'

'Merlin...' The King broke into a run, heading for the only door in sight.

'No!' It was louder this time, as Ordwin reached the door, slamming it open.

'My Lord!'

He heard an angry snarl, before someone inside the room answered. 'What?'

'You are needed in the main castle.'

Arthur nodded, as Ordwin took a step back. Now that the door was open, he could hear the man inside talking to whoever was in there with him. _'I'll be back for you later, sweetheart._'

The King shuddered, but remained still as the man walked out. He was mean looking, his cold, black eyes scowling at them as he pulled the door shut.

'Why did you interrupt my session?'

'Lord Byron requires your assistance urgently,' Arthur's voice was cold and distant, and the man narrowed his eyes, before nodding his head. He was in for a nasty surprise when he reached the main passage; there was a large group of Knights waiting for him outside the fortress.

He turned away from them, his black cloak sweeping out behind him as he strode away. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, waiting until he'd rounded the corner several minutes later, before they dared to open the door.

The three knights entered, and Arthur froze.

A girl was hanging from the ceiling, her feet barely grazing the floor. Her hair was dishevelled and her terrified eyes were staring at him. But it was the man in the chair opposite him that really stopped his heart.

Merlin's face was bruised and bloody, and what little of his pale skin was left couldn't be seen under a layer of dirt. There was a fresh cut on his lip, but the other wound, that stretched from his forehead to his cheek, seemed to be a few days old.

'What's going on?'

'We need to move.' Leon replied as he moved over to the girl and began to untie her. Ordwin made his way over to Merlin.

'Get your hands off of her!' Arthur jumped slightly as Merlin shouted, surging forward as the Knight tried to lift him to his feet. The King moved forward to take the Warlock's other arm, and gulped as he saw the state of his friends' tunic. The shirt was ragged, and dirty, obviously hiding some serious injuries. But there was nothing they could do right now besides get him to Gaius.

Leon had freed the girl and was now guiding her towards the door.

'Don't touch her!'

Arthur tightened his grip on the Warlock's arm as the girl tried to turn back to him. 'Merlin...' she pleaded, as Leon gave her a small push.

Merlin whimpered in pain, and the King forced himself to take a deep breath before pressing on. The Warlock offered no resistance now, and he noticed that Leon was keeping the girl within Merlin's line of site.

_Is she the one from the dream? _ Arthur thought. _The one Merlin was so desperate to protect? _

They rounded the corner, coming across a large group of people in the corridors, all shabby.

And there was Gwaine, standing close to a middle-aged woman and the girl from the dream. Merlin and the girl immediately pulled away, the older girl embracing the younger. Gwaine had his arm around Merlin holding him up. They were whispering quietly together, and Arthur felt his heart throb at the two of them, and their obviously close bond. He had a lot to make up for.

'Get them moving!'

Gwaine slung Merlin's arm over his shoulder and began to guide the Warlock through the corridors. Arthur moved closer, attempting to listen to their conversation.

'Punches and stuff,' Merlin was saying.

'And Iyla?'

_Iyla_, Arthur thought. _So that's her name._

'The guards stopped him before he could do anything. He hit her, and pulled her hair, but they stopped him before he used the knife.' _Oh god_, Arthur thought. _If we'd been a couple of minutes later..._

'Thank god,' Gwaine breathed. 'Not for what he did to you, but at least she's OK.'

Merlin was nodding. 'I know. I know.'

XxX

Merlin's breathing was getting worse; Arthur could hear it. He wanted to step in and help his friend, but he knew that would give the game away to easily.

He could see Leon's head turning in their direction, and Arthur could imagine the concerned look on his face. They were close to the clearing now; not much longer now...

Merlin froze, Gwaine stumbling next to him. Over his shoulder, Arthur could see Gaius, staring at moment with a look of complete shock on his face.

'Gaius...' The Warlock limped forward, throwing his arm around his mentor.

Arthur smiled under his helmet, as the two embraced. Gwaine smiled and moved away, heading over to where the girl was sat.

He coughed gently, and Merlin turned. Arthur raised his hands and lifted his helmet off.

Merlin's eyes widened. 'Arthur...'

XxX

Gaius was treating a young woman who had just been brought to him when the last of the slaves were brought up from fortress. Beside him, he heard Gwen gasp, and the physician looked up.

His heart stopped.

Merlin was stood across from him, his already too thin body shaking from the effort of standing up. He was dirty and bloody, and he looked exhausted, but he was alive.

His boy was alive.

'Gaius...'

Gaius dropped the cloth he was holding, breaking into a run. His ward barely made it ten paces before he was in his mentor's arms, but Gaius couldn't find it within himself to care.

Merlin was sobbing into his shoulder, his breath warm in the bitter air. Warm, breathing, _alive..._

'My boy...' he whispered, closing his own eyes as he stroked Merlin's matted hair. 'You're safe now; it's alright... you're safe...'

**XxX**

**So, what did you think? **

**Next chapter will be: Arthur and Merlin's conversation for the first time in six months! **

**Let me know what you think is going to happen! I hope to update by Wednesday at the latest, but I can't be certain. But reviews are amazing motivators... (300!) **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	19. Making Amends

**OK, so this is **_**much **_**later than I promised some of you, but I've re-written it about twenty times this week, and I'm still not happy! **

**Anyway, here it is! **

**Enjoy!**

**XxX**

Making Amends

There was a moment of complete silence, as both King and Warlock continued to stare at each other, one with hesitation, and the other warily; neither willing to make the first move.

Gaius was looking between them, before trying to move away.

'No, Gaius,' Arthur spoke, never taking his eyes off of Merlin. 'He needs treatment.'

Merlin bit his lip as Gaius nodded, gently pushing him down onto the stretcher behind him.

'Can you lift your arms?'

He didn't want to. He didn't want Gaius and Arthur to see his scars; he didn't want them to see how weak he'd become, when he was supposed to be strong.

But now Gaius was lifting the hem of his shirt, and Merlin had no choice but to raise his arms, and the flimsy material fell away. He heard Arthur gasp, and he slammed his eyes shut, not wanting to see their expressions.

He felt something on his shoulder, and jumped, gasping as he jarred his back.

'It's just a blanket, Merlin,' he heard Gaius whisper, and forced himself to relax. The material covered his shoulders, and it was so warm and soft on his broken skin, he immediately pulled it closer around his body.

'Better?'

Merlin opened his eyes to Gaius' smiling face. He nodded.

'Good. Now, let's take a look at you.' The Physician took hold of his wrist, and sharply drew in a breath. 'Oh gods...'

Arthur appeared over Gaius' shoulder, his brow creased with worry. 'What? What's wrong?'

But Gaius paid him no attention. His eyes were fixed, horrified, on the cuffs encircling Merlin's wrists. 'Oh Merlin...' he choked, reaching out to run his thumb over the engravings, but snapped his hand back quickly, a hiss of pain escaping his lips. 'Oh, my boy... When did they do this to you?'

Merlin felt tears slip down his cheeks, lowering his gaze so he wouldn't have to look Gaius in the eyes as he answered. 'The night they caught me... I would have escaped if they hadn't, but Malum... he knew. He knew what I was, so they came prepared.'

'You didn't stand a chance,' his mentor was crying, and Merlin couldn't help but reach out, wrapping his mentor in a hug.

'It's OK, Gaius. I'm OK.'

But Gaius shook his head, turning to face the King. 'You knew.'

'What?' Both Arthur and Merlin stared at the Physician.

'You knew? You can't have done! If you'd known...' Merlin trailed off, his voice begging.

It couldn't be true. Arthur couldn't have known. But realisation was dawning on the King's face, and Merlin's heart was breaking. Arthur had come for Gwaine... Not him. Gwaine...

'The dreams...' Arthur whispered.

'What dreams?' The Warlock was almost too afraid to ask.

Arthur looked at him, making eye contact. 'For months, I've been having these dreams that, in the beginning, made no sense to me at all. I thought they were something to do with you, but I couldn't be sure, and I couldn't tell exactly what was happening, or where you were. In the end...' He took a deep breath, glancing at Gaius.

The Physician nodded, standing up, giving Merlin a gentle pat on the shoulder. 'I'll see if I can find a way to get these cuffs off of you.'

Merlin's eyes went wide at the prospect of being left alone with the King, but Gaius was already gone.

Arthur moved forward, picking up a bowl and cloth from the floor that the Warlock hadn't noticed before. He held it out to Merlin. 'May I?'

A memory stirred in his mind... Iyla holding out a bowl to him, the first time they properly spoke. _You want to help me?_

He felt a surge of strength as he looked at the King, and nodded.

Arthur smiled as he sat down beside the Warlock, pushing back the blanket, revealing the bruises and slashes that littered his torso once again. His hand drifted to a particularly nasty burn on his right shoulder that had only been inflicted upon him last week. But Merlin turned his head away, not wanting to see Arthur's reaction.

'This... How could someone do something like this?'

Merlin shrugged, shifting Arthur hand away from his damaged skin. He didn't need the King's sympathy. 'You aren't the only one who hates sorcerers.'

The look on Arthur's face almost made Merlin want to take back the remark; his eyes swam with hurt and bewilderment.

'You think I hate you?'

'I don't know what else to think,' Merlin whispered, shuffling away from the King. 'I spent six months knowing... knowing that you weren't coming. That you were never going to come for me.'

'But I did! I'm here, Merlin. I came.'

'For Gwaine,' Merlin snapped, shoving Arthur hands aside as he reached out to him.

'No,' Arthur shook his head, but, as the fear began to fade once again, anger replaced it. Anger stemming from months of pain and loneliness; loneliness that he hadn't even realised he felt. That he thought had been filled by Iyla and Hayley.

But it hadn't. It never had been. The pit of loneliness he had felt in the first few days of his banishment had been replaced by the terror of his torture sessions and his constant fear and worry for the people around him. He'd told stories of Arthur and Camelot in an attempt to fill a void that he had forgotten was even there, and now all those feelings came rushing back. His eyes filled with tears, as Arthur began to talk.

'I never should have sent you away. I know that now...'

Merlin shook his head. 'Why should I believe you? Why should I even have to listen to you? You didn't listen to me,' he snapped. 'You _never_ listened to me!'

'Merlin...'

'I can't!' Merlin shouted, staggering to his feet in an attempt to escape the King. 'I can't do this anymore, Arthur. I can't spend my life waiting for you to make up your mind about magic.'

'I was so wrong,' Arthur jumped to his feet, trying to steady the Warlock. 'It took me... Less than a day to regret sending you away. I had the foundations checked, and your room searched, and then all the pieces fell into place. But the only thing that I could be certain of was that you _weren't_ in Ealdor. You'd promised Gaius you would send a letter, so I waited for one to come. But when the dreams started...'

The Warlock frowned. 'What dreams? You said they didn't make any sense.'

'They didn't...'

'Then why would they matter?'

Arthur let out a frustrated growl. 'If you'd just let me finish!' Merlin flinched back, and Arthur sighed, running a hand over his face. 'They didn't. I was seeing snaps of different people, and feeling emotions I knew didn't belong to me, but the pieces didn't fit together _until_ Gwaine turned up in one of them. That's how we worked out what had happened, and where to find you both.'

'So you _did_ come for Gwaine...'

'And you!' Arthur yelled, causing Merlin to shy away from him, taking a few steps back. 'Why can't you understand that? I came for Gwaine_ and you!_'

'Why?' he dashed the tears angrily from his face, still retreating in an attempt to escape the furious King. 'Why would you even care? I'm a _sorcerer_!'

'We've established that,' Arthur replied, desperately trying to keep his voice calm, so he didn't startle Merlin anymore than he already had.

'I'm a _sorcerer_, Arthur.'

'I hadn't noticed.'

The Warlock let out an incredulous laugh, glancing over to where the mercenaries who had made his life hell were being restrained.

'Do you know what they wanted from me?' Arthur shook his head, looking slightly apprehensive. 'They wanted my magic; they wanted me to use it to raise Camelot to the ground. Every time I said no, they hurt me. For six months, they hurt me, trying to make me betray you. When you found us, they were going to hurt Iyla, but I still said no, even though it could mean losing her. Do you want to know why?

'I did it because somewhere, deep in my heart, I still believed in you. I still believed in the Camelot I always believed you would create; I still believed in our destiny. '

'We still can, Merlin,' Arthur smiled, holding out his hand. 'You and me, just like you always dreamed. The ban on magic will be gone by the end of the week; as soon as you're well enough, you'll be Court Sorcerer. Every sacrifice you've made, and everyone you've lost will be honoured. Alliances can be formed, treaties made... We can do this, Merlin. But only if you give me one more chance.'

Merlin looked down at the hand, before looking back up into his friends' eyes.

There was nothing but warmth, and honesty there.

He looked down at his own hand, as bruised and bloody as the rest of him, before raising it.

XxX

Iyla had been watching the entire exchange with worried eyes.

She could Merlin's distress and pain in every move he made, his attempts to get away from the King, whilst still continuing the conversation looking more desperate. She wanted to intervene, but a quiet word from Gwaine had prevented her; Merlin and Arthur needed to scream at each other, if they were to ever resolve anything.

In the mean time, Iyla would help the Physician's assistant bandage up any injured slaves, after her own bruises had been seen too. Gwaine was helping the Physician himself, scanning through books and shouting at mercenaries, clearly trying to find something.

_Probably the key_, she mused. As afraid of magic as she had been when they'd first met, Iyla was keen to see Merlin use his magic. She imagined how incredible it would look, all that pent up energy free for the first time in six months.

She was so caught up in her musings, she didn't notice the man coming up behind her, until his hand closed around her mouth.

'Quiet, _sweetheart_,' he whispered, his voice dark, and thick, 'and maybe you won't get hurt.'

'Malum...' she whimpered, tears running down her face as he began to edge her towards the tree line.

But as they were approaching the edge, she saw Merlin and Arthur, raising their hands as if to shake, and she knew she couldn't leave him now.

Iyla bit down, hard.

Malum cried out, drawing a few heads, but it was Iyla's scream that alerted the two men on the other side of the clearing. '_Merlin!' _

The sorcerer cursed, grabbing her under her arms and slinging her over his shoulder, disappearing into the dark woods.

XxX

'_Merlin!_'

Merlin swung round, his eyes immediately locating Malum, disappearing into the trees with Iyla slung over his shoulder.

'No!'

He darted forward, his back exploding with pain, and he cried out as Arthur caught him.

'I'll get her!'

'He's too powerful!'

'And you have no magic!' Arthur shouted, gripping the cuffs that still encircled the Warlock's wrists. 'There's nothing you can do. Let me get her.'

'Please...' he couldn't lose her.

'I got it!'

Gwaine sprinted over to them, waving a little, metal key in his hands. Merlin stared at it, as the key fit neatly into the locks and the cursed metal fell away.

The rush that took over him was incredible. He felt the magic surge and roar as it coursed through his veins. It bubbled and screamed with relief as his eyes flared gold. The magic swept through him, exploding from him. Around the camp site, a cool wind burst into the clearing, covering every slave in a gentle, shimmering light.

He felt energised, invigorated; he could feel the presence of every living thing within the clearing. For the first time, in six months, he felt complete.

Merlin's eyes snapped open, and he turned to the King, breaking into a smile.

Arthur nodded. 'Let's go get her.'

**XxX**

**Who saw THAT coming? **

**And for those of you who are feeling slightly disappointed... I'm not done with Merlin getting angry at Arthur **_**just **_**yet! **

**Anyway, I hope to have another chapter written after Merlin airs tonight, but I'm not sure. Can't make any promises, but I hate to leave you on a cliff hanger (sort of) **

**Leave a review! Positive, negative, ideas, or just plain irritated; let me know! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	20. The Final Battle

**It's late... It's so late... I'm so sorry, and I'm going to stop promising update dates because I'm failing at keeping to them at the moment. But I have an excuse for not updating yesterday... HARRY POTTER STUDIO TOURS IS AMAZING! AND SO WAS LAST WEEKS MERLIN EPISODE! Just thought I'd get that out there... **

**...Anyway, here it is! The confrontation between Merlin and Malum. I'm not happy with it, though, and I might end up re-writing it once the story is complete, but that's for another time. **

**Enjoy!**

**XxX**

The Final Battle

They ran through the forest, following the shimmering trail that Merlin had conjured with barely a thought. Arthur and Gwaine already had their swords drawn, with Leon, Percival and Elyan not far behind.

But Merlin didn't care who was following him.

His magic was roaring through him, free once more, merging with his anger and raging through his veins, clearing a path towards his goal.

And, before he knew it, they were in the clearing, and he was there, holding a blade to Iyla's throat.

'Hello, Emrys.'

Merlin snarled, his eyes flaring gold. The sorcerer thrust out his hand, conjuring a shield just in time. A loud crack resonated around the clearing, and the shield disintegrated. The air around Merlin crackled with power.

Arthur appeared next to the Warlock, his sword poised and ready. 'You cannot win. Let the girl go, and we can make a deal.'

Malum laughed. 'A deal? The only you'll offer me, Pendragon, is a beheading, instead of a burning.'

'Well, if you don't like that option,' Merlin growled. 'I could always kill you now, instead.'

Iyla stared at him, wide-eyed, her head tilted back to avoid the bite of the knife. He caught her gaze, and felt his own soften.

'If you let Iyla go... maybe we can come to arrangement.' The Warlock grit his teeth together as Arthur moved forward holding out his hand. 'Just let her go, and we can talk.'

The sorcerer looked contemplative, as if he was seriously considering Arthur's offer. Merlin watched him closely; his magic on the surface and ready to fight back, and then Malum was shoving Iyla away.

His hands were up in an instant, a solid gold barrier forming around the Knights. He heard Iyla scream, and the shield dissipated, to reveal the young woman lying on the ground, her eyes wide with fear.

Merlin's heart throbbed.

'Iyla...'

'Watch out!'

Her cry alerted him just in time, and Merlin dived to the side, rolling towards her, as he brought his hand up. '_Forp Fleoge!' _

Malum yelped in pain as he was thrown backwards, slamming into the ground, hard. But he was back on his feet in an instant, his eyes glowing gold.

Merlin gasped in pain as vines burst from the ground, dragging him to forest floor, and pinning him, the Knights and Iyla there.

'For all your powers, Emrys,' the sorcerer laughed. 'You still can't beat me.'

'Don't count on it,' Merlin snarled, and the bonds around his legs disintegrated, allowing him to rise. 'You're a bully, and a coward, and people like you _never _win.'

'You think you can beat me, Emrys?'

Merlin gave the man a cold smile.

'I know I can.'

XxX

Iyla remained trapped on the ground, watching in terror as Merlin faced off against the man that had tortured him for over six months.

She could feel the power radiating off of him, as the air in the clearing crackled with pure energy. It was almost like she could see tiny sparks coming off of him, as he gazed at the source of his hatred, his cerulean eyes burning with anger.

It was almost like she didn't know him anymore... But had she ever truly? The man she loved hadn't had magic; his only thought had been caring for her and the other slaves.

But then his eyes had found hers, and his gaze had softened, and she could see him there. Iyla could see the gentle, loving man she had grown to know over the past few months, and she knew his mind was once again on protection; protecting her, protecting the King, and protecting his friends.

No matter what, Merlin loved her. And that was all that mattered.

XxX

The sorcerer and the Warlock circled each other slowly, their eyes never leaving each others. The air between them sparked, but neither made the first move; waiting, trying to draw the other out.

'_Astrice!_'

Merlin's shield appeared instinctively, and the energy was dispersed around the edges, harmless. Malum's eyes widened with fear, as he scanned the shield for any sign of a weakness, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. The Warlock simply watched his enemy, waiting for his next move.

Behind him, he could hear the Knights getting restless, but they made no move to intervene; the vines were still pinning them to the ground. What could they do, anyway, to help him fight a sorcerer?

'_Wace ierlic!'_ His eyes widened with shock as he threw up his barrier, this time covering Iyla as well as the fire encircled the group. He held his ground, grunting against the strain of the inferno that pounded against his shield. He took a step back, desperately trying to hold on, as Malum increased the force of his spell.

'What now, Emrys?_' _the man bellowed, but Merlin could hear the strain on his voice, and he knew that the sorcerer was weakening.

He could feel the energy from the spell building up against the shield, and he let his magic roam, allowing it to wash over Malum and sense his feelings.

And, at just the right moment, he reacted.

'_Astrice_!'

Malum screamed as he was flung backwards, and he collided with a tree with a sickening crunch.

Merlin let his shield drop, drawing in a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself.

'Are you alright?'

He nodded at Gwaine's question, closing his eyes for just long enough to regain his balance. The shield had left him feeling drained, but as he opened his eyes, and looked over to where the sorcerer lay, unconscious, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

It was finally over.

Merlin took a tentative step, his gaze flickering from Malum to Iyla, whose legs were still bound by the vines. He knelt down heavily in front of her, and touched the vines, still watching her face, dreading the moment that fear appeared there.

But it never did.

The vines retracted all around the clearing, and the moment her legs were free, she had her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. It was when she let out a sob that Merlin finally let himself go, gripping her tightly as he tried to even out his breathing against her hair.

'Are you OK?' he whispered, drawing back just enough to look at her face.

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears, and he pulled her forward again, letting her fall apart in his arms.

Turning slightly, Merlin could just make out Arthur and the Knights from the corners of his eye. They were heading over to where the body lay, crumpled at the base of the tree.

'Wait... Don't!'

They were thrown backwards, smashing into the ground. Merlin was on his feet instantly, pulling Iyla behind him with one hand stretched in front of him.

Malum was upright once again, stepping over the unconscious forms of the Knights and Arthur, walking steadily towards him.

'That was a nice little trick,' he grinned, coming ever closer. Merlin took a step back, keeping Iyla hidden. 'I'll bet it drained you though, didn't?' He shook his head. 'Six months is a long time to go without using your magic. It must have been agony, to know it was there, bubbling under the surface the whole time, but you were powerless to use it to defend yourself or your little friend. And then, suddenly, it all comes rushing back. Six months of raw power exploding outwards all at once. But that's all you had, isn't it? You're not strong enough to continue this battle.'

'I can still beat you,' Merlin hissed, despite knowing that what the sorcerer said was true.

The sorcerer laughed. 'I highly doubt that.'

He thrust his hand out in front of him, and, this time, Merlin was unable to block it. Iyla screamed as he hit the ground, letting out a grunt of pain as he skid slightly across the ground.

'And now for you_, sweetheart_,' he heard Malum whisper.

'No...' Merlin whispered, heaving himself to his feet. 'No!' He threw himself at Iyla, taking the full force of the spell that was aimed at her heart.

'_No!_'

He was on the ground once again, but this time he wasn't getting back up. And he knew it. The pain in his chest began to increase, and he struggled to draw in breath, his head aching from where he'd cracked it against the ground.

The warlock's vision began to darken, Malum swimming in and of focus,

The last thing he saw was the sorcerer slumping to the ground, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest.

**XxX**

**I know I said I wouldn't promise any more update schedules, but the next chapter is already written, so I'm going to publish that chapter first thing tomorrow morning, before college. So not much of a cliff hanger, I hope. **

**Please leave a review, even if it's to tell me how horrid this chapter was, and to tell me to re-write it. **

**TTFN, till tomorrow!  
Valkyriexx **


	21. Awakening

**An update on time? What does this mean?! **

**Thank you for all your amazing reviews! I'm so glad you all liked it, and, although I haven't had the time to reply to them, I will try to later. Just a little message for **_**carmoc**_** about HP Studio Tour: It's basically going round all the sets and looking at the props and finding out how things work. It's in London, and it's amazing, and mind-blowing, but very expensive! **

**Also, for the first time since I started writing, when I've posed a mystery... I don't think anyone's figured out who really killed Malum! But all shall be revealed... now. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Awakening

Consciousness returned to him slowly, and with it came the pain.

His head was throbbing, and he clenched his eyes shut, sucking in a deep breath.

'Merlin?'

Merlin's eyes blinked open, and he groaned at the bright light. His eyes slammed closed, and he heard someone hurrying around to his right, before the light vanished and he could pry his eyes open again.

'How are you feeling?'

Merlin frowned at Gaius, who was leaning over him with a concerned look on his face. 'Gaius...'

The physician reached for something out of the Warlock's reach, and a cup appeared at his lips. He took a long, grateful draught, before looking at the physician once again.

'Iyla? Where is she, Gaius? Is she alright?'

'She's fine,' Gaius smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. 'She's with Guinevere now, looking after the other slaves.'

'Where..?' Merlin attempted to sit up, but grunted in pain, slumping back into the mattress. 'I don't understand. What happened? Where am I?'

Gaius reached out, slipping his hand under his ward's back, helping him to sit up, with pillows propping him up. 'You're home, Merlin.'

He looked around, and felt his breath catch. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked around the familiar chambers, taking in the cluttered worktops and the old books littering the floor.

Currently, he was lying in the patients' bed, the door hidden by Gaius' screen, obscuring him from anyone who entered the chambers. The familiar scent of herbs and other concoctions wafted through the air, and a small amount of light filtered past a curtain that hung in the window, blocking the worst of the beams.

This wasn't his imagination; he was home.

Merlin let out a relieved laugh, burying his face in his hands. His mentor was by his side in an instant, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, and pulling him into a comforting embrace. He rubbed Merlin's shoulder as his laughs quickly turned to sobs, before he managed to get control wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

It took several moments for Merlin to steady himself properly, taking slow breaths as he leant against Gaius for support, but eventually he was able to lean back against the pillows by himself. 'What happened?'

Gaius began to unwrap the bandages around Merlin's chest, examining the many lacerations that crossed his chest.

'Malum kidnapped Iyla, and you went after him with the Knights. As far as I know, you faced him, and you nearly beat him. Iyla hasn't said much, but the Knights were knocked out, and when they came too, you were unconscious, Iyla was by your side, and Malum was dead on the ground with a bolt in his chest. Can you fill in any blanks?'

Merlin shook his head. 'No. No, Malum was still alive when he attacked and I was knocked out. I don't know what happened.'

'Could Iyla...'

The Warlock frowned at him. 'You think Iyla killed him?'

'It's a possibility.'

He bit his lip, placing a hand on his head. His mind was still foggy with sleep; he couldn't think straight.

Gaius simply nodded. 'We'll talk this through when you're feeling better.' He handed Merlin another cup, this time of a slightly greenish substance.

Merlin's eyes shot up. 'A sleeping draft?'

'It'll help,' the Physician shrugged, moving away to one of his shelves. The Warlock sighed, before downing the disgusting liquid and slumping down on the blankets.

It didn't take long for the draft to begin to work, and Merlin's eyes drifted closed, as he sunk into a deep sleep.

XxX

Iyla sighed as she finished writing the letter, folding up the parchment, and putting it to the side, ready to be delivered tomorrow morning.

Her hands were trembling, and she let out a shaky sob, burying her face in her arms.

She'd killed a man.

The moment Iyla had seen Merlin fall to the ground, unable to rise to protect her this time, fear had taken over her. She couldn't lose Merlin; he'd become her whole world in the last few months. Him and Hayley.

And Malum had been about to take that away from her.

Iyla had rushed to Merlin's side, pressing her hand to his chest in an attempt to find his heartbeat and she couldn't help but let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding when she felt it beneath his tunic.

She'd then looked up at the advancing sorcerer, whose dark, cruel eyes were focused on her and Merlin, the black already beginning to tint with gold.

There had been no time to think it through.

One of the Knight's crossbows', discarded when the vines had grabbed at their legs, was lying only a few feet away. She'd reached over, seized it, and aimed it at the source of months of fear, anger and pain.

Malum had laughed. He'd taunted her, telling her that there was no way that she was going to kill him. She was a little girl; she didn't have it in her.

And Iyla had responded by pressing the trigger.

The recoil had hurt, the wood smashing into her chest, and she'd watched in horror as Malum's eyes widened with shock, as he crashed into the earth, the bolt still protruding from his body.

She'd thrown the crossbow away then, flinging it across the clearing, before returning to Merlin's side. His eyes were closed now, and his breathing was erratic. She needed to get him back to the Physician, but there was no way she could carry him on her own.

And then the Knights had started to rouse, and come to her aid. They'd carried Merlin back to the camp, where he'd be loaded onto one of the carriages, and they'd begun the day long trek back to Camelot.

It had been the longest day of her life.

But now, Merlin was home. He was in his old chambers, with his mentor and father watching over him, and well on the way to recovery, the physician assured her. They'd only been back a day, but there was already a vast improvement in his condition, and Gaius had said there was a chance of him waking up soon. Malum's spell had rendered him unconscious, and they'd been forced to act quickly in order to save the Warlock, but it had worked.

Merlin was safe. And that's what mattered most.

But she'd still killed a man.

'How are you holding up?'

Iyla jumped, before turning in her seat. 'My Lady! I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in.'

Gwen smiled. 'Don't worry about it. You must have a lot on your mind at the moment. Have you been to see him recently?'

She shook her head. 'I have a lot I need to do here; the families of the slaves need to be notified, and we need to arrange transport and escorts to get them all home. Hayley needs to be taken home, and Felicia, and...'

'Iyla,' Gwen placed a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. 'I understand. When Arthur and Merlin used to run off on their stupid quests, I knew that there was a chance they wouldn't come back. Keeping busy is the best thing to do. But let me tell you something about Merlin,' she leant forward, smiling. 'Merlin _always_ bounces back.' She sighed, sitting down next to her friend. 'I... wasn't as worried about Merlin as I should have been. I tried to discourage Arthur from looking for him, because he was neglecting his duties as a King in an attempt to find him. I knew he would send Gwaine... that way, we were still looking for him, and the Kingdom was taken care of. But I should have been more worried, especially now I know what happened to him.'

Iyla smiled at her. 'You know he used to tell me stories about Camelot?' Gwen shook her head. 'We'd sit in a group, nearly every night, after all the wounded had been treated, and all the food evenly distributed, and we'd tell stories of our lives before we were taken. Merlin's were always the best.'

'What did he tell you?'

'He told us about the time you were captured by the outlaw, Hengist, and he and Arthur travelled day and night to rescue you.'

Gwen laughed. 'I don't think I've ever heard the full story. Arthur and I were... complicated back then. And Merlin was very supportive of our relationship; he set us up time and again to try and get us to admit our feelings.'

'I guess it worked,' Iyla grinned, and Gwen nodded. 'You're a great Queen,' she whispered. Gwen looked at her in surprise.

'I'm sorry?'

'You're a great Queen,' Iyla repeated. 'Not many would be able to put aside their own feelings for the sake of their Kingdom, especially if it was going to hurt those around them. And fewer would have sat and admitted that to a total stranger afterwards.'

Gwen stared at her for a moment, before letting her lips transform into a gentle smile. 'You know you and Merlin are perfect for each other, don't you?'

She looked down at her hands, before glancing back up at the Queen.

'Thank you, Milady.'

'Please,' she smiled. 'Call me Gwen.'

XxX

The next time he woke, he was wrenched from unconsciousness by his magic roaring through his veins.

Merlin's eyes flashed open, and he just had time to register the knife poised above him, before his hands were out in front of him, and his assailant was flung backwards, crashing into a table beside the bed.

He was bolt upright, staggering to his feet and using the screen for support, as Mordred shoved the splintered wood away from his body, rising from the ground.

'_You!_' Merlin snarled.

Mordred smirked, twirling the dagger in his hand. 'Nice to see you again, _Emrys._'

'You set me up,' Merlin spat. 'You're the reason all this happened in the first place. This is _your _fault!'

'Of course,' Mordred nodded. 'We needed you out of the way.'

'Then why have you done nothing the past few months. You know that I've been... _tied up_, so why do nothing?'

'It was fun to watch King Arthur chase his tail,' Mordred smiled. 'He drove himself mad trying to find you, you know. Stopped running his kingdom altogether at one point. We could have taken the citadel at any time, but it was just... _so _much fun, to see him drown in his own guilt, who were we to interfere?'

The pain in his body was increasing, but his magic was numbing it, as Merlin lunged for the druid. The space was so tight, Mordred couldn't get away, and the Warlock crashed into him, knocking the dagger from his hand.

Behind him, Merlin was only half aware of the door being flung open, as he desperately tried to draw his magic forward to defend himself against Mordred, but he was still weak from his battle with Malum. His magic may have warned him about the impending attack, but it wasn't strong enough to defend him.

And suddenly, Mordred was again, yanked away by the third party that had come barrelling through the door.

Arthur had the druid pinned against the wall, and landed a solid punch to his chin, rendering the man unconscious.

'Guards!'

Two armed men appeared in the door way, and Arthur indicated to the traitor on the floor.

'Take this man to the dungeons. Do not leave him unaccompanied; two men are to be with him at all times.'

They nodded, dragging the man to his feet and pulling him from the chambers.

That's when the King turned to the Warlock, extending his hand. 'Are you alright?'

Merlin gulped, then nodded, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. He winced in pain as he was lowered, gently, back to his bed.

'I'll get Gaius.'

'Arthur...' Merlin's hand shot out, grabbing the King's wrist. Arthur turned, looking at the Warlock with his clear, blue eyes. 'Thank you.'

Arthur nodded, before pulling his wrist away. 'We'll talk later, when you're feeling better. Get some rest.'

He left the room, leaving Merlin confused, and tired, as he settled back in his pillows, allowing the exhaustion to wash over him once again.

**XxX**

**And... that's a wrap! **

**Not really. Next chapter, fingers crossed, at the weekend but I'm not promising! **

**Everything should be wrapped up in the next two or three chapters now... So leave a review if you think I've missed anything! Or even if I haven't... I love reviews! We've passed 375! Most likely going to hit 400 before this story is finished. So thank you! **

**Until next time...**

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	22. Setting Things Right

**400 Reviews!? You guys are so amazing! Thank you so much for your continuing patience and support for this story, and I hope you'll hang on for the final two chapters, not including this one. **

**Also... Merlin is so amazing at the moment! The TV Show, as well as Colin Morgan playing him... Last night's episode was awesome! **

**Right, onto the chapter; I have beaten my own personal best: 3,003 words, not including the AN's. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Setting Things Right

The third time he woke, he knew he was alone before he'd even opened his eyes.

Merlin blinked his eyes open wearily, letting them slowly adjust to the evening light that was casting a gentle beam across the workroom.

He yawned and stretched his stiff muscles, wincing slightly at the aches he felt. The room was dim and silent as he pushed himself out of bed, padding over to the bench where a fresh set of clothes were waiting for him. He changed slowly behind the screen.

His new clothes were soft, and he relished in the feel of it against his skin. The dark red tunic fit him perfectly, as did the breeches and boots. He touched his neck, rubbing it, before looking around the room.

On the table was a small, blue bundle. Merlin picked it up, letting it unfurl in his hands, and felt his breath catch, tears welling up in his eyes. Tentatively, he tied the scrap of cloth around his neck, feeling the scarf settle against his chest.

He hadn't worn a scarf since the day he was captured; Malum had taken the majority of his possessions, including his old scarves during their first 'session'.

Once again, Merlin took a moment to look around the room, still hardly daring to believe he was home. A cotton jacket hung by the door, similar to the one that he'd given to Iyla when they'd first met. He reached out, and took it, before leaving the room.

The halls of Camelot were quiet, meaning that it was probably after dinner, and the servants were beginning to finish up their jobs and turn in for the night. Merlin let his feet carry him through the familiar corridors, not really paying attention to where he was going.

It hadn't really changed in six months, Merlin mused. For some reason, he'd thought that the citadel would be completely different after all that time, but it was exactly the same as the day he'd left. The same tapestries, the same walls... It was all so familiar... So heart-achingly familiar.

Memories from that day whirled through his mind, and his step faltered as he realised he was heading for the King's chambers.

Despite their conversation after the King had rescued him, Merlin was anxious about seeing Arthur again.

It seemed to him, especially after their last encounter, that Arthur was expecting Merlin to remain in Camelot. To do what, Merlin wasn't sure. But he couldn't return to his mundane life as Manservant to the King; he didn't think Arthur would let him either.

And then there was the whole thing with Mordred that needed to be sorted. That wasn't a conversation he was looking forward too.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't hear the footsteps approaching, until he heard a woman gasp.

His head shot up, and his eyes widened with shock as he took in Iyla, stood at the end of the corridor with Gwen, who was scowling at him.

'What are you doing out of Gaius' chambers?' she scolded.

Merlin didn't answer the Queen... He was too busy staring at Iyla.

She was beautiful. Her long, blonde hair was elegantly braided, framing her slender face, and highlighting her dark brown eyes. Her dress was very simple, a dark purple that was similar to the dress Gwen wore before her coronation. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Gwen had given her the gown in the first place.

Merlin's feet were carrying him forward as Iyla broke into a run. Within moments, she was in his arms once again, pressed close to his chest. Her warmth was comforting, and he buried his face in her hair, taking a deep breath.

They stood there together for a long time, Merlin feeling an overwhelming reluctance to ever let her out of his sight again. She was shaking with suppressed sobs, and Merlin held her even closer, gripping her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

'It's alright,' his whispered. 'We're alright. We're free.'

'King Arthur told us what happened,' she murmured. 'He said one of his Knight's... he said he tried to kill you.'

Merlin shook his head. 'It was Mordred.'

Iyla's eyes widened as she reached up to touch the wound on the side of his head, stroking the cut tenderly. 'What's going to happen now?'

'He's in the dungeons; hopefully, that means he's not going to be a problem anymore, but I doubt it. He works for Morgana, so they would have been prepared for something like this.'

She shook her head. 'Will this ever end?'

He smiled. 'It's going to be alright. Everything will work out in the end. It always does.'

She smiled, resting her head on his chest, and closing her eyes. Merlin relaxed, pressing his cheek to the top of her head, letting his eyes fall shut, and simply relished in the moment of peace.

XxX

Gwen smiled as she watched the couple embrace. She'd seen the way Merlin's eyes had lit up when he'd looked at Iyla; the way he'd ignored the scolding she'd given him in favour of staring at Iyla.

They'd only been apart for two days, not including the day they'd been travelling back to Camelot. Merlin had been kept in Gaius' chambers to give his wounds time to heal, and Iyla had been by the Queen's side, contacting the families of the victims involved in the months of torture. They'd also set about trying to locate Byron's clients, in order to rescue the slaves that had already been sold before they got there.

At that thought, Gwen shuddered.

It wasn't fair. She watched Merlin and Iyla sob into each others' shoulders as the weight of the last six months came crashing down around them, and they gripped each other as if they were afraid of being swept away. Two of the kindest people she had ever met in her life, and they had been subjected to one of the worst forms of torture. She'd met the little girl Merlin had taken a shine too, and her innocence had been shocking. The woman who cared for Hayley when Merlin and Iyla were... busy... was such a caring soul as well. Strict, she recalled with a small laugh, remembering how Iyla had been told off for working too hard just this morning, but very caring.

She sensed, more than saw, her husband come up beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

'They look happy,' he murmured.

Gwen nodded. 'Two days must have seemed so much longer to them.'

'Especially with Merlin being out for most of it.'

He sighed, his hand sliding down to grip hers. She frowned. 'What's wrong?'

'It was a set-up,' Arthur whispered, looking at her. 'Mordred was the one that informed me there was a sorcerer in the tunnels beneath Camelot the day I...' he gulped. 'The man played me like a fool. Merlin could have died because I trusted the wrong person, _again._ '

'I trusted him too,' Gwen shook her head. 'He did everything right, just like Agravaine. You've got such as kind heart, Arthur, even if you're reluctant to show it.'

Arthur chuckled. 'It's thanks to you, Guinevere. You and him,' he gestured to Merlin, who was still holding Iyla close to him, this time resting his head on top of hers.

'He's forgiven you, Arthur. That day when you found him was proof of that.'

Again the King chuckled. 'No, Gwen. He hasn't. He was overly emotional that day, and the relief was enough for him to temporarily accept my help. But, I don't think he's forgiven me; _I _wouldn't have forgiven me for what I did.'

'Then you'd better talk to him.'

She saw her husband sigh, and Gwen couldn't help but smile. He hated talking about emotions.

'Alright.' He took a step forward, catching the attention of the couple standing halfway down the corridor. 'Merlin!' The Warlock jumped, looking up at him. 'We need to talk.'

XxX

They entered Arthur's chambers, the door shutting loudly behind them. Merlin jumped slightly at the noise, glancing behind him.

Arthur immediately noticed his discomfort, and sighed. 'If you want the door open, just say. I just assumed you'd want this conversation to be in private.'

'It's not that,' Merlin shook his head. 'It was... It was the bang, and the door closing. I'm alright.'

'Are you sure?'

The Warlock nodded again, and the king gestured for him to sit.

'Right...' Arthur bit his lip, observing the Warlock in front of him. 'First of all, Merlin, I owe you an apology.'

Merlin tilted his head to the side, confused. 'What for?'

'Everything,' he replied. 'Mordred, your banishment, the slavers... Everything that's happened in the last six months is because of me. Being enslaved, tortured...'

'Falling in love,' Merlin muttered under his breath. Arthur grinned.

'Only you could do that. During the worst time of your life, you still manage to find people that love you, and would do anything to protect you. People _you_ would do anything to protect. I think that's what saved you, in the end. Six months is a long time...'

He shrugged. 'I did what was necessary to survive. It's what you do in that kind of situation; you know that. Me and Iyla happened along the way, although there was something there from when we first met. She was the first slave I spoke too after I was captured.'

Arthur nodded his head. 'We'll talk about it someday,' he said. 'But not yet. Even if you've come to terms with what happened to you, I can't get that vision of you in that chair out of my mind. You were so scared, and in so much pain... _I _need time.'

'Then what do you want to talk about?'

The King stood up, retrieving a jug and two goblets from his desk. 'We need to talk about what happened between us, Merlin. And what we're going to do about it now.'

Merlin looked away. 'I thought we'd sorted that.'

'We've barely scratched the surface.' He placed one of the goblets in front of him, which Merlin chose to stare at.

He wasn't ready for this; he'd be far more comfortable talking about what had happened during his imprisonment. When he'd been locked up, his future had consisted of escaping, getting Hayley and the others home, then finding a nice little house somewhere with Iyla to settle down and have a life.

He'd never expected, no matter how many stories he'd told, and how many times he'd dreamed about it, to end up back in Camelot.

And he'd certainly never believed that Arthur would forgive him.

'Why did you come for me?'

Arthur nodded, sitting down at the table. 'That seems a good place to start.' He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment, seemingly concentrating. Merlin watched him carefully, still cautious of the King. 'Well, you know that we found your staff. And we had the foundations inspected. That was pretty good evidence attesting to you innocence, but I didn't understand _why _you'd do it. Especially after the way I treated you; you must have known what would happen if you were ever caught, yet you still stayed. So Gaius told us a few stories about you; about your life since you arrived here. After everything you've done for me, the least I could do for you was bring you home.'

'So you...' Merlin swallowed. 'You... _haven't_ forgiven me?'

'What?' Arthur stared at him. 'What have I just been saying? Of course I've forgiven you! There was nothing to forgive you for in the first place!'

'I lied to you!' Merlin shouted, rising to his feet, anger surging through his blood. 'You said it yourself, Arthur; the last eight years have been a lie... _I'm _a lie! The bumbling servant you went to rescue doesn't even exist!' The King shot to his feet, grabbing the Warlock's arms, but Merlin pulled away.

'You're not a lie, Merlin. I know you, just like you know me.'

'Did Gaius tell you about Emrys? About what he did to your father?'

'Yes,' Arthur nodded.

'Did he tell you that _I _am Emrys?'

'Yes.'

Merlin frowned at him, confused .There was no anger, or hate in the King's bright blue eyes. 'Did he tell you about Kilgharrah?'

'Are you trying to make me hate you?'

'I don't understand how you can be so calm!' Merlin yelled. 'Six months ago, if I'd said any of this, you would have tried to kill me! What changed? Why did you listen to Gaius, and not me, whilst I was rotting in a cell in the middle of nowhere?'

'Because I'm a Dollophead!'

Merlin froze, completely thrown by the King's answer. 'Excuse me?'

They stared at each other, Arthur holding his friends gaze steadily, whilst Merlin looked at him incredulously. They remained there, watching each other, until Arthur's face began to mould into a smile. And then Merlin couldn't help it any longer.

Both of them burst into laughter, grinning as they both shook their heads. 'Yes, I was trying to make you angry,' Merlin confessed.

'So was I,' Arthur smiled.

'Make yourself angry?'

'No!' Arthur made to swat him round the back of the head, but Merlin ducked. 'I was trying to make _you _angry; and it worked.'

'Why were you trying to make _me _angry?'

The King shrugged. 'Gwen said it would solve things between us; she said something about me feeling guilty, and you having six months of anger, and the only way we could resolve it was to... let it all out. Vent our feelings, so the air was clear and we could start again. I don't know; it was all very girly.'

Merlin smirked. 'Yet you still did it.'

'She's my wife, Merlin. You'll know soon enough; you don't argue with your wife.'

The Warlock looked back towards the door, smiling gently. 'I hope so.'

Arthur gestured towards the table, and the two of them sat down again. 'We've got a lot to sort out, Merlin. You can't be my servant anymore; not now that I know how powerful you are, and not now that you've spent six months being a slave. There's also the fact that magic is legal now...'

_Clang!_

The King's eyebrows shot up at the water flooding over the table where Merlin had knocked his goblet over. 'I know I said you aren't a servant anymore, but you're cleaning that up.'

Merlin paid him no notice. 'You... You legalised magic?'

'Gaius didn't tell you? When you woke up?'

He shook his head. 'I just wanted to know what had happened to Iyla and the Knights. You really legalised magic?'

Arthur chuckled. 'Yes, Merlin. I know that might be a bit hard for you to understand right now, but magic is legal, you're home, and there is a job vacancy for you when you're ready for it. We can find something for Iyla too; I'm sure Guinevere would love to have her around.'

The Warlock smiled. 'Thank you, Arthur.'

Nothing else needed to be said.

XxX

When the warning bells went off, they were deep in discussion about their trip to the Perilous Land.

Both King and Warlock had frozen, looking back at the door.

'Mordred...' Arthur whispered, before they both jumped to their feet, running towards the door. Merlin made it their first, wrenching it open, and they both sprinted down the corridor, heading towards the dungeons.

_Bang_!

Merlin stumbled as he collided with the person running around the next corner, and his eyes widened as he realised who it was.

'You're alright!'

Iyla gasped with relief, flinging her arms around his neck. Gwen rushed to Arthur, who pulled her close, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

'My Lord!' They all looked up as Sir Leon appeared, panting and out of breath. 'The prisoner has escaped. The citadel is being swept, and we're sending out patrols, but...'

Arthur looked to Merlin. 'What would he do next? Is he still in the castle?'

Merlin shook his head. 'Chances are he's already back with Morgana, heading for whatever hole she's found to hide in this time. You won't find him.'

The King turned to his second-in-command. 'Double the patrols to be sure, but Merlin's probably right. He'll be long gone.'

Leon nodded, before moving off. Merlin sighed, releasing his grip on Iyla a bit.

Arthur looked around the small group. 'You should be getting back to Gaius' chambers, Merlin. He'll be worried about you.'

Iyla gripped his wrist, jerking her head down the corridor. 'Come on. I'll come with you.'

He had no choice but to follow, Arthur's chuckles following them.

XxX

Gaius was furious when Merlin finally made it back to their shared chambers, but had simply sighed, before pushing the Warlock down onto the bed, ordering him to remove his shirt.

Iyla had helped him, his muscles having seized up on the way back.

'You left my new clothes on the bench. I assumed I was allowed to leave.'

'I didn't put them there,' Gaius scolded. 'They were from Sir Gwaine; I just hadn't had the chance to put them in your room before I was called away on my rounds.'

Merlin grinned sheepishly, before wincing slightly as Gaius peeled back the bandages.

'You're healing very nicely; it helps that these wounds were cared for before you were rescued. I assume that was your work, my dear,' he looked up at Iyla, who was holding Merlin's hand.

She nodded. 'I'm Iyla.'

'Gaius,' the Physician nodded. 'We didn't have a chance to be introduced; both too worried about you.'

Merlin had the common sense to look away then, meeting Iyla's eyes. She smiled at him, before leaning in for a soft kiss.

Gaius watched them with approving eyes.

'I'm glad you two found each other, even under the circumstances.'

Merlin smiled gently, his forehead wresting against Iyla's. 'So am I.'

**XxX**

**So, what do you think? There will be two more chapters before the story finishes; the final chapter and the epilogue. **

**Please leave a review! If I've missed something, this could be your last chance to point it out to me! **

**Thank you again for your continuing patience and support. I'll update asap, but I can't promise when. More reviews will inspire me though! (No bribery intended... much ;)) **

**TTFN  
Valkyirexx **


	23. One Step Forward

**Only four more Merlin episodes ever! :'( What are we going to do? **

**On that note, I have planned at **_**least**_ **two more stories, one of which **_**is **_**the sequel to this fanfiction. And I will be publishing them, no matter what happens in the next four weeks. There is pole up for which one I should write first, although they it is unlikely to be published until **_**after**_ **my exams in the beginning of January. Sorry about that. **

**Brighter side, this chapter has been split in two! So there are still two more chapters of this story to go! Yay! And I've had it pointed out to me that Arthur's method of making Merlin angry to calm him down is a little strange... It works. Trust me. **

**Overly emotional Merlin in this chapter, **_**again**_**, but this time with someone else, AND a conversation between Arthur and his (hopefully) future "sister"-in-law. **

**Rambling over...**

**Enjoy!**

**XxX**

One Step Forward

Merlin stared at the cuffs on the table, not daring to touch them as he examined the runes.

'How did it block my powers?'

'It's ancient magic,' Gaius said, not looking up from whatever concoction he was brewing. 'Before the Great Purge, Dragon Lords and High Priests of the Old Religion were revered, but, as you know better than most, power corrupts. Those cuffs were created in order to contain both magic and Dragon Lord Abilities alike, on anyone who began to use their magic for evil; they're very rare. I wonder how Malum managed to get his hands on a pair.'

The Warlock shrugged, putting the cuffs back into their box with his magic. 'I really don't care, as long as Arthur puts them in the Vault where no one can use them again.'

The Physician nodded. 'You should go out and see Kilgharrah; he'll be worried that you haven't contacted him in so long.'

Merlin frowned. 'But I don't have permission from my Physician to leave my chambers, let alone the castle grounds.'

Gaius narrowed his eyes at his ward. 'Is that so?'

'Yes,' he nodded.

'So you need me to give you permission, when you normally do what you want anyway?'

'Yes,' Merlin smiled his usual lop-sided grin.

Gaius resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he observed his ward. 'Can you at least wait until tomorrow? I want to make sure you're not going to collapse in the middle of the Darkling Woods first.'

'As long as I can tell Kilgharrah it's your fault I haven't been out to see him.'

This time, Gaius really did role his eyes. 'Fine.'

Merlin just laughed.

XxX

Arthur was sat at his desk, desperately trying to remain focused on the tax reports in front of him. He wished that Guinevere had been able to help him, but she was still organising escorts to take slaves home, contacting their families, and/or arranging to find them work within the Camelot. At least she had Iyla to help her now, Arthur smiled to himself.

The woman had been a blessing, his wife had told him; she knew pretty much all the slaves, either directly or indirectly, and could organise couriers to each of their homes. Again, the King couldn't help but smile; Iyla was Gwen's shoulder to lean on. Her and Merlin truly were perfect for each other.

A knock at the door jerked him out of his thoughts, and he shook his head.

'Come in!' he called, thankful for the interruption.

The door opened to reveal... 'Iyla!' Arthur smiled, getting to his feet. 'This is a pleasant surprise. May I help you?'

She looked nervous, glancing down at the floor. 'I was hoping I could talk to you... about Merlin.'

He nodded. 'Of course. Please, sit down.' Iyla chose the chair opposite him, and he brought over two goblets of water, before seating himself opposite her. 'Has something happened to Merlin?'

'What?' She looked panicked for a moment. 'Oh... No, he's fine, as far as I know. I saw him this morning, just before I started work with the Queen, and he was arguing with Gaius.'

Arthur laughed. 'That's good to know. So, what can I help you with?'

Iyla shifted, glancing down at her hands clasped on her lap. 'It's just... Merlin loves this place. He loves the people and he loves you like a brother. It would destroy him if he had to leave again.'

The King frowned. 'What are you saying?'

'Queen Guinevere offered me a job,' Iyla sighed. 'Once all the slaves have been sent home. She wants me to be her Lady-In-Waiting or something similar.'

'She enjoys your company,' Arthur smiled. 'I'm not surprised she offered you that job. But what does this have to do with Merlin?'

'If Merlin is to be banished from Camelot, then I'm going with him,' she looked up at him, her eyes glistening. 'But I needed you to know that... Merlin loves me. I know he does. But he's loved Camelot longer. And you are his family. Whilst we would have a life together, and it would be a good life, this is where he truly belongs.'

'Are you trying to convince me to let Merlin stay in Camelot?'

'Yes.'

Arthur chuckled. 'I admire your devotion to him, Iyla. It's good to know that Merlin has found someone. As for your concerns,' he placed his hands on the table, glancing down at the wood. 'I intend to ask Merlin to become First Advisor to the King, and Court Sorcerer once he has recovered enough to assume his duties. I have told him the positions there for him, but he hasn't given me an answer yet.'

Iyla sighed, her smiled showing her relief. 'Merlin never told us why he was banished from Camelot in the first place, and when he spoke of you, he only addressed you as King Arthur. I guessed from his stories how close you and he were, but I was under the impression that you would never forgive him for having magic.'

'There was never anything to forgive,' Arthur shrugged, feeling guilt once again worming its way into the chest. 'Our Court Physician took it upon himself to... enlighten myself and Guinevere. Gaius doesn't know everything about Merlin's life, I understand that. I've already spoken to Merlin about some of our adventures, but I also know that there's lots he hasn't told me. Some we'll talk about tomorrow, some in a few months or maybe even years, when he's ready. And some things he'll never tell me. But that's OK. Because he's my best friend, and, as long as I have that, I don't need to know everything. When I sent him away, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I know that now, and I will do everything in my power to make it up to him. He'll forgive me; he always does, but at least _I'll_ know that I'm doing him some good. I don't need to forgive, Merlin. I never did. It just took me far too long to see that.'

Iyla nodded. 'He's so... strong.' Arthur pulled a face, and she blushed. 'Not like that! I meant that... Nobody trusted him. When I first met Merlin, I saw the cuffs on his wrists and knew instantly what he was, and it scared me. After all, I've grown up in an anti-magic Kingdom. It took me seeing him, broken and bleeding on the floor, to sort my act out and help him, like he helped me. The other slaves, with the exception of Hayley and Felicia all feared him, and some even hated him. But they went along with his system anyway because it benefitted them. But hardly any of them ever helped Merlin when he needed it.'

'People use Merlin,' Arthur muttered. 'He's too kind, in some respects. But you've seen him when he gets angry too; when there's someone he feels he needs to protect.

'We are some of the luckiest people in the Kingdom to have Merlin's trust, loyalty and love. I couldn't ask for a greater gift than the one that he has given me, and I know that he will continue giving as long as he deems me worthy of his loyalty. And I _will _build the Kingdom he's dreamed about all his life, simply because it's the only way I can think to repay him for what he's done.'

The young woman smiled, leaning forward. 'King Arthur... I would like your permission to remain in Camelot, by the Queen's side.'

Arthur laughed. 'You never needed permission, Iyla.' He extended his hand, and she took it. 'Welcome aboard.'

XxX

Merlin grunted as he lowered himself down onto the step that led up to the castle doors. From his position, half way up, he could see the whole courtyard bustling about, and he couldn't help but smile.

They sat here often; him and Arthur. When they were reminiscing about one of their adventures. They'd sat here after they reclaimed Camelot the first time, Merlin remembered. Back when Arthur had simply been a Prince, instead of one of the greatest King to ever live, and he was just a servant.

So much had changed in the last couple of years...

He heard someone approach and sit down next to him, but didn't turn as he waited for them to speak.

'I haven't had a chance to speak to you since we fought off that crazy sorcerer. How are you feeling?'

Merlin dipped his head, staring at his clasped hands on his knees. 'I'm alright. Still very tired, and sore, but I'll be fine in a few days. How about you?'

Gwaine shrugged. 'I'm fine, especially compared to you. Arthur told me what happened; about Mordred. I'm sorry, I should have known.'

'How could anyone have known?' Merlin leant back, staring up at the bright blue sky. 'Mordred was very good at hiding his intentions, just like Morgana, and just like Agravaine.'

'You knew about them.'

'Yes, but I'm just a servant,' Merlin shrugged. 'Nobody cares what I say.'

The Knight stared at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. 'Merlin... We need to talk. About what you said to me, back in the cells.'

'I've already spoken to Arthur, and I know I should have listened to you when I first arrived. But I was hurt and angry, and I apologise for that. Can we just let it go?'

He shook his head. 'You know that's not what I'm talking about Merlin.'

Merlin glanced at him before turning away. He knew exactly what Gwaine was talking about.

'You told me to take care of Hayley and Iyla, Merlin... You thought you were going to die, and you begged me to take care of them. That's something we need to talk about.'

'Why? I'm still alive, so you don't need to look after them.'

'But you still asked me to do it. Everything else doesn't matter right now, Merlin. What matters is that you _thought _you were going to die, and you asked me to make sure that the woman you loved would be alright. You need to talk about that moment. What were you feeling when you asked me to take care of them?'

Merlin sighed. 'I felt... scared. I've never felt that scared before, not even when Malum was... I was terrified at the thought of leaving them alone in that place. They needed someone to be there for them, and I knew that, with each passing day, the chances of me being taken back to that cell alive grew smaller and smaller. And then you were there, and you could protect them if something happened to me. It made me feel... calmer. Almost at peace with what was happening to me. Because, as long as they were going to be looked after, I knew everything was going to be alright. For them at least. It felt that way up until the last day, when Malum tried to hut Iyla. But you were there for Hayley; you could still look after her.'

Gwaine was watching him with sad eyes. 'But what about you?'

'I just wanted to live, Gwaine,' he tried to blink back tears, his voice choking. 'I wanted to live long enough to leave that place, take Hayley back to Eresford and find a little house somewhere with Iyla, to have a life. But I was beginning to think that it would never happen. You don't know what it was like for me there. Yes, I had Iyla and Hayley, but they were prisoners, the same as me. I didn't _know _you'd come to say goodbye... I didn't know you still cared. I thought I was going to die, and that none of you would ever know what happened to me. That none of you would ever bother to find out. Either that, or I was going to break and the next thing any of us would have known, Camelot would have been in ruins with all of you under some evil king's control.'

'It didn't happen,' Gwaine whispered. 'What you went through wasn't fair. Those people had no right to do that to you...'

'Then why did they?' Merlin snapped, tears streaming down his face. 'Why me? I put my heart and soul into Camelot, and it always gets thrown back in my face! I was _protecting _Camelot that night; I was doing everything in my power to keep this city _safe_! Why..? It isn't fair...' His voice trailed off as he finally broke down sobbing, his shoulders shaking.

The Knight reached over, wrapping his arms around his friend and drawing him close. The Warlock sighed against the rough cloth that was pressed against his cheek.

It was several minutes before Merlin finally managed to blink back the tears, and even out his breathing. He drew back, closing his eyes and giving his friend a gentle smile.

'Thanks, Gwaine.'

'Anytime,' the Knight grinned. 'Have you talked about what happened with Arthur?'

'No,' Merlin shook his head. 'He said he's not ready to talk about it yet. But we will, when he's ready?'

'But will you tell him about..?'

Merlin held his gaze, before shaking his head. 'No. There are some things he doesn't have to know.'

'You can always talk to me.'

He smiled. 'I know. Thanks Gwaine.'

XxX

Arthur stood at his window, watching Gwaine comforting Merlin on the steps below.

Whilst he was jealous that it was Gwaine who was down there, he knew it was what the Warlock needed. He needed someone who had _been _there, but wasn't afraid of upsetting them. And that's what Gwaine was to his best friend right now.

He sighed, turning away from the window to look around the empty room.

Iyla had left over an hour ago, called away by Gaius as his own assistant was still unable to help him, leaving him with no excuse _not _to do the tax reports; the ones that still lay on his desk, untouched since they were delivered that morning.

The door opened, and the King couldn't help but smile as his wife entered. 'Guinevere...'

She crossed the room, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. 'How are you?'

'Better for seeing you,' he grinned. She laughed.

'And the tax reports?'

He grimaced. 'I'm getting there.'

'Well, maybe this will take your mind off of it.' Gwen held up an faded piece of parchment. Arthur's eyes widened.

'Is that..?'

'Yes.'

'And they agreed?'

'Yes.'

Arthur grinned. 'And neither of them have any idea?'

'Of course not,' Gwen smiled, tucking the letter away. 'It's going to be a surprise, remember? She's been so busy; she hasn't had time to think about herself. I'm glad to be able to do something for her.'

'When will they arrive?'

'Tomorrow afternoon.'

Arthur beamed. 'Good. Then we'd better get ready for their arrival, mustn't we?'

**XxX**

**Next chapter... I don't know when. The next week and a half will be absolute hell for me, but once it's over, I shall be able to finish this story. Sorry about that. **

**Please leave a review! I can't believe we've made it to 400! That's absolutely incredible! And last chance to point out anything I've missed, as there will only be the next chapter before the epilogue. The two most popular requests have been noted, and will be appearing in the next two chapters. **

**Until next time**

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx**


	24. Reunion

**I survived! I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update, but my life didn't slow down until Tuesday, and it took me a couple of days to recover! **

**Anyway, I am now going to make the guarantee that this story **_**will **_**be finished by Saturday night; before the finale airs. **

**And, speaking of finale's... How amazing was last week's episode! I nearly burst with excitement, I was so happy! And Merlin's "I'm like a Swan!" comment... What are we going to do once it ends? **

**So, here's the next chapter! I had to split it into two, so there will be 26, instead of 25 (it just keeps getting longer!) as this chapter came to a natural close after 4009 words... **

**Also, I felt that Merlin and Iyla were too much like the perfect couple. So I've added in a tiny crisis that they need to solve together; nothing major, just to prove that they are genuine, and there relationship isn't based on "extreme circumstances" (Name the film if you can). There's also another quote from another film in here. Virtual cookies to those who spot it. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

Reunion 

Merlin slowly made his way down the front steps, shrugging the bag more securely over his shoulder.

The courtyard was teaming with people, a few of them stopping to greet him as he made his way through, still limping ever so slightly.

Gaius had argued against him going today, insisting that the Great Dragon could wait until he had healed a little more. It had only been a week since he had woken, and yet, it felt like he had never left. He couldn't believe that, just under two weeks ago, he had been chained in that dark room, unsure of where he was, and what was going to happen to him and the ones he loved. Two weeks ago, Gwaine hadn't even arrived yet; there had been _no_ hope. And now he was home.

Just before he entered the market place, Merlin took a moment to pause and take in the scene.

The street was crowded with people going about his lives, and Merlin couldn't help but smile. The bakers' door was open, with the delicious smells wafting out; he could hear the clang of Blacksmiths hammer just outside Gwen's old house, and the sounds of the innkeeper shouting at his newest recruit... It was all so familiar.

And there was Felicia, standing by a market stall loaded with cloth, Hayley right beside her.

They both looked up as he approached, and Hayley's face split into a wide grin. She launched herself through the crowd, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pulling him down. Felicia laughed as Merlin yelped in surprise, falling to the ground, in a heap, drawing surprised looks from the people around them.

'Be careful, Hayley!'

The girl pulled back, her face slightly red. 'Sorry,' she blushed. 'I just... I haven't seen you, and Iyla's been so busy. They said you were hurt.'

'I'm alright now,' he smiled. 'We're all going to be fine. Have you seen your family yet?'

Felicia extended her hand, helping him to his feet. 'Iyla's been organising everything. Hayley's family will be here in a few days, and then she can go home.'

He nodded, feeling a twinge of sadness. He'd grown so used to Felicia and Hayley's company, but, soon, neither of them would be around. 'What about you?'

'I'll be going with Hayley, if her parents allow me,' the older woman grinned. 'For some unknown reason, I've grown quite fond of you.'

Merlin laughed, but Hayley just looked down at the ground. He frowned at her. 'What's wrong?'

'What's going to happen to you and Iyla?'

'I'm staying right here,' he gave her a gentle smile. ' And Iyla's staying with me, I think. And Eresford isn't far on horseback,' he knelt down, holding her hands. 'You'll have your family, and Felicia, and I won't be far away. I'll always be there when you need me.'

'Promise?'

'I promise,' he beamed at her. 'Listen; there's something I need to do, but,' he squeezed her wrist when he saw her downcast face, 'you, me and Felicia will have lunch when I get back. Does that sound alright to you?'

Her face split into a grin, and she nodded. Merlin rose to his feet, nodding his goodbye's before heading off down the street.

As he reached the bottom, he turned back, watching the people move about the market. Merlin took a deep breath, and looked out across the field. Shaking his head, he made his way down the path, heading towards the gates.

XxX

When he heard the horses' hooves coming up behind him, he'd had just reached the tree line.

Merlin huffed, tilting his head back against the rays of sunlight, and closing his eyes, allowing the rider to approach.

'Sneaking off?'

The Warlock laughed, glancing at his King. 'Who, me?'

Arthur smirked. 'Yes, you. You seem to have a habit of sneaking off.'

He turned, looking up at the King. 'Never without just cause.'

'I don't doubt that,' he smiled. 'So, where are you heading?'

'Herb gathering,' Merlin held up the bag. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

'Is that all?'

'I'm meeting an old friend. He can't enter Camelot without causing a panic, so I came out here to meet him. Is that good enough?'

'Not quite,' Arthur grinned. 'I'm coming with you.'

'I don't think that's necessary.'

'Well, I disagree, and I'm the King, which makes me right, and you wrong. I'm coming with you.' Arthur held out his hand to the Warlock, who chuckled, before accepting it. The King pulled him up behind him, settling the Warlock on the horse behind him. 'Now, where are you meeting this friend?'

Xxx

Merlin stared at the ground around him, as Arthur slowed the horse to a walk. 'See any yet?'

'No.' Arthur huffed, causing the Warlock to smirk. 'You know, you didn't have to come with me.'

'And leave you out here all alone?'

He sighed. 'Arthur, I'm fine. Nothing's going to happen to me.'

'I never said it did,' the King snapped. 'Anyway, I don't see why you're friend can't come into Camelot.'

'You will when you meet him.'

Against, Arthur huffed, but chose not to say anything.

They rode on in silence, reaching the clearing with only a few stops for Merlin to gather the herbs he needed and to have a quick break. He didn't ask, but Arthur seemed to be able to tell when he needed to get off the horse for a moment.

And for that, he was grateful.

They dismounted, Arthur helping Merlin down before swinging down himself. 'You alright?'

The Warlock nodded, tying his bag to the back of the horse. 'I'm fine. But you might want to stand back.'

'Why would I..?'

Merlin threw his head back and roared. Arthur jumped, stumbling backwards and tripping over the horse.

'_O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo!'_

'What the _hell _was that?'

'Just letting my friend know we're here.'

'Of course you were,' Arthur muttered, slumping down on the forest floor, leaning back against a tree. The Warlock laughed as he lowered himself to the ground next to his King, taking a deep breath. His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened, they were met with a set of concerned sky blues.

'I was tortured for six months; I'm going to be slightly stiff.'

He nodded. 'I know, Merlin. I know.'

Merlin watched his friend closely. 'Arthur... you're not still blaming yourself, are you?'

The King didn't respond; Merlin took a deep breath, biting his lip.

'In the beginning, it was most days. Malum would have me removed from the cells before the rest were sent to work, and I was brought back afterwards. Iyla would be given enough stuff to keep me relatively healthy, and Felicia and Hayley made sure I had a blanket, and my fair share of food. We set up a rota, to keep the slaves workload as light as we possibly could, and I did my shifts when I wasn't in with Malum. Eventually, I was only in there twice a week and I worked the rest of the time. I don't know why Malum reduced our number of sessions; maybe it was to give me time to heal. But the work wasn't much different to what I used to do here, which turned out to be a relief. At least there, I knew what I was doing.'

'I told you; I'm not ready to talk about this.'

'But you need to hear this,' Merlin's voice was low, and soothing; the way he always sounded when he was about to give the King some much needed words of advice. 'You want to move part what happened? Then you need to listen to me, and accept that this happened. It was a misunderstanding that had repercussions neither of us could have imagined. And it was Mordred that was behind the whole thing.'

Arthur was shaking his head. 'Please stop, Merlin. I can't be dealing with this right now.'

'Then when?' Merlin asked. 'Because we need to deal with this. You have such a strong, kind heart, Arthur, and normally that's your greatest strength. But right now, it's holding you back. It's holding us both back. You need to accept that we were both the victims of a trap; a cruel, vicious trap. I wasn't the only prisoner during that six months. You were too...'

The King sat, staring at his knees, and Merlin couldn't help but think he had pushed his friend too far. But Arthur couldn't continue to beat himself up over what had happened. Camelot needed its King and his Court Sorcerer to be strong.

A distant beating caught their attention, and both man sprang to their feet.

'That's him!'

'Where?'

Merlin pointed up at the great, dark shape looming over the trees. Arthur's eyes went wide.

'The dragon? You brought me out here to meet with the Great Dragon?'

'_I _was meeting with the Great Dragon; you just decided to tag along.'

'That's not the point!'

'Then what is...'

'Young Warlock!' They both jumped as Kilgharrah landed in front of them, narrowing his eyes at Merlin. 'I haven't heard from you in some time; I was beginning to feel rather worried.'

Merlin smiled. 'Sorry about that. I would have contacted you if I could.'

The dragon stared at him, his eyes going wide. 'Merlin... You are hurt!'

'I'm alright.'

'Who did this?'

'He's already dead,' Merlin held up his hand. 'That's not why I called you here.' He nodded his head towards Arthur.

Kilgharrah's gaze shifted to the King stood beside him, and he grinned. 'Well, if it isn't the Once and Future King. So, the Young Pendragon knows the truth?'

'Yes,' the Warlock nodded, smiling at Arthur, who was staring up at the dragon with a mixture of awe and apprehension. 'He found out over six months ago.'

'Then why did you not tell me?'

'I couldn't,' Merlin bit his lip. 'It didn't go well, and I was forced to leave Camelot. Not long after, I was taken by slave traders who bound my magic; I had no way of contacting you.'

The dragon tilted his head to the side. 'I am truly sorry that this happened, Merlin. You have already suffered; it was not fair that you were forced to endure more. But, tell me, is your bond stronger after all of this?'

They glanced at each other, before nodding. 'Yes,' Merlin answered. 'Yes, it is much stronger. We realised how much we truly depended on each other, and how much we were both needed in Camelot.'

Kilgharrah beamed, as Arthur stood there, looking slightly stunned. 'Yes, the time is very near now. For you are now united; the sun and the moon.'

'What?'

The Great Dragon simply chuckled, before looking back at Arthur. 'Have you not told the young Pendragon, Merlin? He seems shocked.'

Merlin glanced at the King. 'No. It wasn't his burden to bear.'

'You should have told me, Merlin,' Arthur whispered, his face pale. 'I know I said we'd talk when you were ready, but you should have told me.'

'I didn't know how,' he replied, feeling his breath catch. 'We have such a great destiny, Arthur, but I didn't want to put pressure on you. It was something that you needed to achieve in your _own _time, and in your own way. I had no right telling you what you were supposed to do with your life. Trust me; I know how that feels.'

Arthur stared at him, his eyes unblinking, before he nodded. 'Everything you've done, you've done for me and Camelot..,' he gave the Warlock a shaky smile. 'And I will do everything in my power to be the King you believe me to be.'

'I have no doubt in you will, Arthur,' he grinned. 'I never did.'

Kilgharrah looked between the two of them. 'Young Warlock, young King, the fates bound you together for a reason. The Once and Future King, and Emrys; destined to bring Albion into its golden age. And now that Merlin has found his light, that future is imminent.'

'My light?'

The dragon bowed. 'Thank you for allowing me to meet with you, Arthur Pendragon. It has truly been an honour. And thank you, Merlin.'

'For what?'

'For our freedom.'

And with that, he took to the sky, leaving the men behind him stunned and confused.

XxX

They rode back in silence, both of them thinking over what the Great Dragon had said.

Arthur was in shock; Merlin could tell. But their shared destiny was a lot to take in. Silence was probably what he needed right now, and Merlin needed time to collect his own thoughts. What had Kilgharrah meant? That he'd found his light? Was he talking about Arthur's acceptance of him? Or did he mean something else entirely?

'Is he always that cryptic?'

The Warlock chuckled. 'Sometimes, even more so. He likes to make my life difficult.'

'What did he mean by "your light"?'

He shrugged. 'Probably being accepted by my friends. I don't know; it'll all make sense eventually. No point dwelling on it, since there was no warning. Let's just focus on the here and now; we have a Kingdom to build, after all.'

Arthur nodded, and they walked in silence, guiding the horse through the crowd of people that stepped aside to let them pass. He saw Hayley stood by the side, and gave her a small wave, the young girl grinning back at him, before she was swallowed by the masses, and Arthur spurred the horse into a canter as they rode into the courtyard.

He immediately saw Iyla, stood to the side. There were tears streaming down her face, and Gwen had a comforting arm around her shoulder, rubbing it gently, and whispering in her ear. A small group of people, two men and a woman, were also crowded around her, but he couldn't see their faces. But, whoever they were, they were the ones that had upset Iyla.

'Is that Iyla?' Merlin heard Arthur mutter, but he was already swinging down from the horse, stumbling as he hit the ground. 'Merlin!'

The shout caught Iyla's attention, as Arthur leapt down in order to help his friend. The Warlock staggered, but Arthur curled his arm around him, keeping him upright. Iyla pushed Gwen away, and sprinted over to them, skidding to a halt. 'Merlin, are you alright? What were you doing out of Camelot?'

'I'm fine,' he shook his head, touching her face. 'Iyla... you're crying. What happened?'

'It's nothing,' Iyla took a step back. 'It's my... my family. They're here; Queen Guinevere called them.'

Merlin beamed at her. 'Iyla, that's terrific...'

'They want me to return to Caerleon with them.'

His heart stopped. 'What?'

More tears ran down her face, as she shook her head. 'Merlin...'

'You're leaving?'

She bowed her head. 'I don't know.'

XxX

Merlin was sat in his room, his legs drawn up to his chest, and his face pressed against his knees.

Iyla was leaving him. After all they'd been through together, after all their plans... She was going to leave him. She may not have confirmed it yet, but Merlin _couldn't _be the one responsible for taking her away from her home. Not again.

Gaius had called him some time ago, but he'd ignored the Physician, choosing instead to hide in his room, away from the crowds and prying eyes.

He was going to lose Iyla...

Someone knocked on his door, causing him to jump. He stared at the wood, daring it to open, but didn't call out to the person. He didn't need to anyway. After only a few seconds, Arthur pushed open the door, taking in the Warlock curled up on the bed.

'Iyla's been looking for you. She said you need to talk.'

'I need time alone, Arthur.'

'If you want to be her husband...'

'We aren't getting married!' Merlin shouted, his head shooting up. 'Iyla's leaving; she's going back home. Long distance relationships don't work, and it wouldn't be fair on her. The only other option is that...' he trailed off, glancing down at his bed again.

Arthur nodded. 'Go with her.'

'What?' He stared at the King, his eyes wide.

'Go with her. To Caerleon's kingdom. I'll give you everything you need; it's the least I can do, to ensure that you are comfortable.'

'Arthur... I can't. I need to be here, in Camelot. For you, for our destiny.'

The King sighed, sitting down on the bed next to him. 'We'll think of a way. But I can't force you to stay here, not when Iyla's going to be somewhere else. I've already taken so much from you; a debt I know I can never repay. How can I take her away from you as well?'

Merlin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. 'This was my dream... To roam Camelot's halls, to be able to show people what I can do. To stand by your side and watch as you became the greatest King to ever live,' his voice cracked on the last few words, before he broke down into sobs. Arthur shifted closer, drawing the Warlock into a sob.

And Merlin, for his part, curled into the King, and pressing his face against the rich fabric.

And cried.

XxX

It took a long time for Merlin to finally calm down, but Arthur didn't release his grip until the Warlock pushed him away.

'Sorry.'

'Don't be,' Arthur smiled sadly. 'I'm just sorry that you've been put in this position. It isn't fair. But you've fulfilled your dream, Merlin. No matter what happens, know that what you've done for Camelot will not go un-rewarded. You won. It was a long, hard battle, but you won.'

Merlin chuckled. 'Thank you, Arthur.' He rose to his feet, stretching his stiff limbs. 'I should probably go find Iyla; she'll be worried.'

'Alright,' Arthur watched him leave, letting him reach the bottom of the stairs before he spoke again. 'And Merlin!' The Warlock turned. 'Thank you.'

Merlin paused for a moment, before nodding; fleeing the room before he started to cry once again.

XxX

It was with some hesitation that Merlin knocked on the doors of the guest chambers. He heard a scuffling behind the door before it was yanked open, revealing a burly, 30 year old man, who was scowling at him.

'You a servant?'

'No,' Merlin narrowed his eyes. 'I was actually looking for Iyla. Is she here?'

'Why would _you _want to talk to her?'

'Calvin!' The man grunted, and moved aside, bringing an older woman in to view. 'Leave the young man alone. Can we help you?'

'I was looking for Iyla,' Merlin repeated, taking in the woman's appearance. She looked tired, but there was a light in her eyes. This woman was definitely Iyla's mother. The woman nodded, and called over her shoulder. Iyla appeared at her shoulder, smiling when she saw him.

'Merlin! Thank goodness; we really need to talk.'

'I know,' Merlin nodded. 'Is there somewhere private we could go?'

'Of course,' she shut the door behind her, shooting Calvin a warning look before he disappeared from view. 'Listen, I've spoken with my family about moving back to Caerleon...'

'I'm coming with you,' Merlin interrupted.

She froze. 'What?'

'I've spoken to Arthur; it's all sorted. I'm coming back to Caerleon with you.'

Iyla shook her head. 'But... your dream! You were going to be Court Sorcerer and everything! You can't give all of that up, just for me!'

He smiled at her, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and stroking her face. 'That's the great thing about dreams. Once you achieve it, you get to go find a new one.' He leant his forehead against hers. '_You _were my new dream, Iyla. And I wouldn't have it any other way.'

'Merlin...'

'And besides,' he withdrew, his voice trembling slightly. 'We had a plan remember? Little farm cottage in the countryside? What kind of husband would I be if I couldn't give you that?'

Iyla gasped. 'Husband? As in marriage? Are you..?'

'Only if you want me too,' Merlin felt his heart racing at the surprise on her face. Hadn't she known that was his plan? They couldn't live together if they weren't married after all. 'I wanted to ask your family first, but I thought that... I thought you knew.'

'I hoped...' She muttered, blushing red, grinning. Merlin laughed, and pulled her close.

'As long as I have you, I have everything I need.' He closed his eyes, resting his head on top of hers.

But Iyla's eyes remained open, her head pressed against her betrothed's shoulder, and a plan forming in her mind.

XxX

Iyla's mother, Lorena, wasn't very accepting of him at first.

Upon learning that he practised magic, she had launched into a tirade about the evil of magic, and its power of corruption, but Iyla had silenced her quickly. They'd quickly told the story of how'd they'd met, and of the true horrors they'd experienced during their time in the slave traders prison. Hayley had been brought up, along with Felicia, by Gwaine half way through their tale, and the two had joined in whilst they lunched together.

And slowly, Iyla's family had warmed to him. Her two brothers, Calvin and Fergus, seemed to enjoy his tales of adventure and heroics; mainly the ones Hayley had repeated in great detail whilst curled up in between Merlin and Iyla. They'd thanked him for giving Iyla a reason to continue fighting, and he in turn had thanked them for helping her become the person that she was; the woman that he loved.

It was later that evening, when Iyla had gone to check on their dinner, that Merlin had approached Lorna and Calvin, who was the oldest of the three siblings.

'I know you haven't known me for very long,' he coughed slightly to clear his throat, but it did nothing to ease the dryness. 'And I know that Iyla means a lot to you. But I care about her very deeply; I love her.' He looked between them, and Lorena smiled.

'You are asking permission for her hand?'

'I know I don't have much,' Merlin bit his lip. 'I've been a servant for eight years, and I've saved as much as I could. King Arthur has also offered me some money as a reward for my service. She would have a good life; I can promise you that.'

Lorena reached out and took his hand. 'You're a sorcerer, Merlin,' and his heart plummeted. It must have shown on his face, because she shook her head frantically. 'No, no. That wasn't the best place to start. I meant that... I've always feared magic, ever since my husband... Anyway, I never thought that magic could be our salvation. And then you came into her life,' she patted his hand. 'You saved her; you brought her back to us. And I know that being with you would make Iyla very happy. So, yes.' She smiled. 'I give you permission to ask Iyla for her hand. And I can guarantee that she will say yes.'

Merlin let out a relieved laugh, all the tension leaving his body.

'Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me.'

It was then that Iyla returned with their meal, and the grin he gave her said it all. And as Merlin sat with his new family, enjoying their meal, he thought back to the conversation he'd had with Arthur, earlier that day.

Leaving Camelot meant going back into hiding. Caerleon, at the moment, didn't tolerate magic users, but Queen Annis was a close ally of Arthur's, so the chances of her laws changing were pretty good. He'd be leaving his friends behind, but he could still get back to Camelot for visits.

And, suddenly, the prospects were looking up. As Iyla curled up against him, dozing off against his shoulder, he smiled.

Maybe, everything would be alright.

**XxX**

**Please leave a review! I am travelling home tomorrow, so I should polish off the last chapter, and have it posted mid-afternoon/evening UK time. **

**And for those who have pointed out that I've left a certain, very important person out... She's in the next chapter. And I have come up with an explanation. **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	25. Home

**And so here ends the story, with the final chapter! There will be an epilogue, hopefully up tomorrow **_**before**_** the show airs. If not, not long after. **

**Not much to say before the chapter, just that I wanted Iyla to do something for Merlin, as everything that's happened between them has been for her so far. And I wanted to make them seem more real. **

**Enjoy!**

**XxX**

Home

It was with a heavy heart that Merlin sat down with Gwaine and explained what had been decided last night. The Knight had been upset by what the Warlock had to tell him but he understood; he'd been there, and he knew how much Merlin and Iyla needed to be together. And so he'd given them his best wishes, and promised to be there for the wedding.

With the money Arthur had given him, Merlin had bought Iyla a ring. He'd proposed to her over a dinner, arranged by Arthur, and she'd immediately agreed, throwing her arms around his neck, and kissing him deeply. They'd told Gaius and her family, and they'd all been delighted. Arthur had informed him that his mother was due to arrive in Camelot any day now; Gwen had sent for her shortly after their rescue, but there had been a problem with bandits, and the message hadn't got through as quickly as he would have liked. Arthur also explained that his mother had been informed of his disappearance, and he'd kept her up-to-date with the progress of their search.

No matter what the news, Arthur had made sure that Hunith knew what was going on. And Merlin had thanked him for that.

And now, as he sat toasting with Gwaine, a guard arrived at the door, informing him of her arrival.

Merlin had shot to his feet so quickly, he had knocked his chair over, and Gwaine had laughed as his friend ran from the room.

He arrived in the courtyard of Camelot to see his mother, tired looking and travel stained, waiting for him. His face split into a wide grin, and he flung himself down the steps and into her arms.

They'd cried a lot, gripping each other tightly just to ensure that the other was real, before he'd led his mother up to Gaius' chambers, where they could talk in private.

'Arthur said you'd been found, but he didn't say what had happened,' she reached out, and traced the faint scar on his head with her finger. 'Oh, my boy. What did they do to you?'

'It's over now,' he smiled. 'Some not very people held me and a lot of others for six months. Arthur finally managed to track us down, and he got us out of there. We've been here recovering for just under two weeks now.'

'The messenger ran into some trouble with bandits,' Hunith explained. 'Gwen's message only arrived a few days ago, and he let me ride with him so I could get here sooner. I'm sorry it took me so long.'

Merlin wrapped his arms around his mother, closing his eyes. 'It doesn't matter. You're here. And I have something that I need to tell you.'

The door behind them opened, and Merlin pulled away, smiling at the person who had just entered.

'Mother, this is Iyla,' he walked towards her, taking her hand in his. 'And, last night, I asked her to marry me.'

'It's very nice to meet you, my lady,' Iyla extended her left hand, displaying the ring on her finger. Hunith's eyes lit up.

'And you, Iyla,' she shook her hand, looking her up and down. 'I must say, this is quite a surprise. Six months captured, and you manage to fall in love.'

Merlin laughed. 'A lot of people seem to be surprised by that. It must have been the right moment, I guess. And I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without her.'

'You won't have too,' Iyla squeezed his hand.

Hunith looked between the two of them, indicating that they join her on the bench. 'So, what are your plans after the wedding? Arthur informed me that... Well. That there is another job opening for you.'

'You mean Court Sorcerer?' Iyla asked.

Hunith chuckled. 'Of course he told you. You wouldn't be getting married if there were any major secrets between you. Will you be taking it?'

Merlin's shoulders sagged. Iyla watched him, her eyes sad, as he shook his head. 'No.'

'What?' she looked so upset, her hands flying to her mouth. 'Why not? It's everything you've ever wanted, Merlin. Why would you turn him down?'

'I need to be with Iyla,' he shrugged, trying his best to look un-fazed. 'And her family wants her to return to their village. Arthur said I can still work for him; he can send me reports and on the occasional mission. And maybe, one day, we will return to Camelot, and I can take up the post. The future's so uncertain, after all.'

Iyla's head was tilted slightly, but Merlin didn't notice. Hunith chewed on her lip for a moment, before nodding. 'If this is what you want to do, Merlin, then I will support you. I'm just so glad that you are safe.'

They embraced once again, and Iyla sat back, smiling as mother and son were reunited. Quietly, she rose to her feet, and left them to catch up. She had her own family to deal with.

XxX

They sat talking for hours, Merlin giving his mother a brief description of his capture, whilst she had filled him in on Arthur's rescue attempts, and all the gossip from Ealdor.

It was nice to hear that some things never changed.

Gaius had returned, and joined them for lunch, adding his own commentary to their tales, and making the whole thing even more enjoyable.

And it wasn't until late into the night that the three of them retired. Arthur had had a third cot delivered to their chambers, and Merlin curled up on it in the corner of Gaius' room. He knew that, in a few days time, they would have to leave for Iyla's home village of Yalding. He sighed, rolling onto his side, and looking out the window.

He didn't have to think about that now. For now, he was home, with the people that cared about him. And that was all that mattered.

XxX

The next morning, Iyla found Merlin outside, with the horses, preparing the King's mount for a short patrol.

'Merlin... There's something I need to tell you.'

'If it's about our trip to Yalding, I've got everything covered. Don't worry about it,' he smiled.

'If you're going to Yalding, then you're going without me.'

He froze for a moment, before frowning at her. 'What are you talking about? Of course we're going to Yalding; that's what you wanted, isn't it?'

Iyla shook her head. 'No, Merlin. No; going to Yalding is what my mother wants me to do. And I agreed without a second thought, simply because she's my mother. And then you said you would come with me, and I started to think. Camelot has accepted magic, and King Arthur has made you a free man. Everything you have ever dreamed of is right here, yet you were going to give all of that up, so you could be with me.'

'Iyla...' His voice was soft, and laced with disbelief. What was she saying?'

'The Queen has offered me a job as her Lady-In-Waiting, and the King wants you to be is Court Sorcerer,' she smiled, taking a step towards him. 'And who are we to refuse the King?'

There was a moment of silence, where Merlin simply stared at her, processing what she had just said. They were staying in Camelot...

Suddenly, he swept her into his arms, spinning her round. Iyla squealed, before bursting into laughter, clinging to his neck. 'I take it your happy!'

'Thank you,' Merlin breathed, tears streaming down his face. 'Iyla... Thank you.' He'd stopped spinning her, but her feet remained off the ground as she stroked his face, wiping the tears away.

He lowered her to the ground, taking her hands in his. 'You have given up so much for me,' she whispered. 'You've given up so much for everyone. This is your time; your gift. What kind of wife would I be if I denied you that?'

'But what about your family? And your mother?'

She shrugged. 'My mother has to understand that I'm a grown woman, and that I need to live my own life. And, besides,' she laughed. 'Mother has her hands full with my brothers; I doubt she'd appreciate having you under her feet as well!'

Merlin laughed, placing a light kiss on her lips. 'Thank you. I know this must have been hard for you...'

'Oh, shut up,' Iyla leant forward, this time for a deeper kiss.

'Hey!'

They broke apart, looking over to where the King was, descending the stairs and pulling his gloves on, smirking at them.

'Is that really necessary?'

'You and Gwen seem to think so,' Merlin retorted, still holding Iyla close.

'I'm the King,' was Arthur's response. Merlin just laughed.

The King looked at the couple, taking in their expressions and their entwined hands, and a slow smile spread across his face. 'You're staying, aren't you? You're staying in Camelot.'

'Yes,' Merlin nodded, attempting to blink back tears once again. 'Yes, we're staying!'

'Thank god,' Arthur let out a relieved laugh as he pulled Merlin into a one-armed hug. 'I don't know what I would have done without you.'

'You've lasted six months.'

'Barely,' Arthur whispered. The Warlock choked slightly, returning the hug.

Iyla stepped back, watching fondly as Hunith and Gwen appeared in the courtyard. 'What happened?'

'We're staying in Camelot,' Iyla wiped her eyes, smiling. 'I think I made the right decision.'

Gwen beamed at her, patting her shoulder. 'Arthur and Merlin may love us, Iyla, and claim that without us, they would be lost. But truly, they need each other. I don't know about Merlin, but Arthur was inconsolable during that six months; he would not rest until he found his best friend.'

'They need each other,' Iyla confirmed, nodding her head. 'We've only been here two weeks, but already I can see how much they depend on each other, even if they won't admit it.'

Hunith placed her hand on Iyla's shoulder. 'We should leave them,' she whispered, nodding towards the castle.

'Yes,' Iyla grimaced. 'I must inform my mother that we aren't returning with her... She's not going to be happy.'

XxX

It was Arthur that pulled away first, clapping Merlin on the back, and turning away to try and hide the wetness on his face. Merlin chuckled.

'It's alright to show a bit of emotion every now and then, sire.'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' but the crack in voice gave him away. He bit his lip, glancing away.

Merlin frowned. 'You told me to go with her.'

'You think I wanted you to leave?' Arthur's eyebrows shot up. 'I told you, Merlin; I owe you so much! What I wanted didn't matter; it about what _you _wanted.'

His shoulders sagged. 'I'm sorry, Arthur. I just...'

'I know. I would have done the same for Gwen,' Arthur glanced to where Iyla had been stood, and chuckled. 'Do you think we should go find her?'

Merlin spun around, surprised to see the space empty. 'Where did she go?'

The King laughed, placing a hand on his friends shoulder. 'Come on.' He led Merlin into the castle, pointing in the direction that Iyla had most likely gone. To her mothers' chambers.

Merlin hesitated when he realised where they were going. 'Arthur... She's telling her mother we're not leaving. I'm not too sure I should get involved; Lorena will be upset enough as it is.'

'Are you _scared_, Merlin?' Arthur chortled.

Merlin blushed, and simply marched on, leaving Arthur behind him. It didn't take long for them to reach the guest quarters, and, when they did, it was silent. The lack of shouting from inside worried Merlin, and he knocked before letting himself in.

Lorena was seated at the large table, her head in her hands, with her sons by her side, rubbing her arms. Iyla stood, a few steps away, chewing her fingernails, but keeping her gaze fixed on my family. She only broke eye contact when Merlin appeared by her side, pulling her hand away from her mouth.

'Are you alright?'

It was unclear who the question was aimed at, but it got everyone's attention. Fergus immediately straightened, advancing towards Merlin, his eyes dark with anger. He was met with Arthur's sword, the King having drawn it the minute he noticed a threat to his friend.

'Step back,' his voice was a low growl, and Fergus looked momentarily terrified, making his way back towards him mother.

'Arthur...' Merlin's voice clearly displayed the warning, and Arthur lowered the sword, albeit reluctantly. He turned to Iyla's family. 'I'm sorry; I never wanted to take your daughter away from you.'

'Then what did you plan to do?' Calvin yelled.

'Merlin said he would come home with us; to Yalding. He was ready to give up _everything_,' Iyla snapped, shaking her head. 'He did that because he loves me, and he knows how much I missed you when we were locked up. But there's no future for us in Caerleon. Merlin would be a farmer, and I would be his wife. Here; Merlin's going to be Court Sorcerer of all Camelot, the second most powerful man in all of _Albion_! And I'm going to serve the Queen. _This _is where we belong. This is our home!'

The Warlock stared at his betrothed, fairly stunned, but mostly moved by her devotion. She was determined to stay...

They were all snapped from their thoughts as Lorena sat up straight, wiping her eyes, and brushing her hair back, turning to her daughter.

'I should have known that you would choose this,' she gave a gentle smile. 'When you spoke of Merlin's power, I knew that he wouldn't be happy as a farmer, no matter who he was with. And I love you so much, Iyla,' she rose to her feet, and approached her daughter. Merlin took a step back, pulling Arthur with him to give them some space. 'I know you are making the right decision, my darling. My shining light...' Lorena's voice broke as she dissolved into tears. Iyla gripped her mother, pulling her close, and glancing at Merlin, who was looking slightly stunned.

'Are you alright?' She mouthed, but he barely noticed.

_My shining light..._

'Did you say, light?'

Mother and daughter pulled apart, staring at the King. 'I'm sorry?'

'You called Iyla your light...'

'So...'

Arthur turned to Merlin, clicking his fingers in order to draw the Warlock's attention. 'Isn't that what Kilgharrah said? That you'd found your light...'

He shook his head gently, his face splitting into a wide smile. 'Where did that name come from?'

Lorena looked at her children, her eyes still wet, but she drew a deep breath. 'When I was pregnant with Iyla, a soothsayer approached me. This was before the purge,' she added, glancing at Arthur. 'She told me that my child would be instrumental in forging a future so bright, that the gods themselves had given her a name. And when she was born, I just knew. I knew that the soothsayer was right. And she had told me that, in the foreign tongue, my daughter would be Iyla: the light of the moon.'

'Light of the moon...' Merlin whispered, staring at her. 'The sun and moon...'

She nodded. 'Yes! Yes, the soothsayer spoke of that too. Do you know what it means?'

But Merlin was looking at his bride-to-be again, chewing on his lip. 'That... ridiculous beast...' He burst into laughter, wrapping his arms around Iyla. Arthur grinned, taking in the stunned expressions around him.

'Merlin has a very cryptic friend who told him that he had found his light,' he elaborated. 'He also called me the soon, and Merlin the moon. Making Iyla...'

'The light of the moon...'

'Exactly,' Arthur took in his friends relieved face, and Iyla's delighted, as they stood together. 'Merlin and Iyla were destined to find each other. They were always destined to fall in love, and be together forever.'

XxX

The large group sat around the council chamber, parchments spread out in front of them. Merlin was staring at them, looking slightly traumatised.

'I think I'd rather clean your dirty socks...' he muttered. The Knights gather round laughed.

'I highly doubt that, Merlin,' Arthur smirked, passing another sheet to him. 'Relax, you're doing fine. It's only your third day on the job.'

The Warlock groaned, rubbing his hands against his temple. Thankfully, the door opened then, and Iyla appeared. 'Merlin, they're just leaving.'

He nodded, and stood. Arthur followed him, pausing long enough to inform the men that the meeting was adjourned.

Out on the steps, Felicia stood with Gwen, watching as Hayley embraced her parents for the first time in six months. Her mother was sobbing, whilst her father just held the both of them. Merlin couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Hearing him approach, Hayley pulled away, turning to him. 'Thank you, Merlin. For everything.'

He knelt down in front of her. 'I was glad to,' he shook her hand. 'Hey,' he tapped her chin, noticing her downcast face. 'I'll see you soon. Iyla and I won't be getting married unless you're there.'

Hayley grinned, and threw her arms around his neck. 'I'll miss you, Merlin.'

Merlin hugged her back, closing his eyes. 'And I'll miss you,' he leant back. 'But this is my home. And you have to go with your family now, to yours. We can still visit each other, and, like I said, I'll be seeing you really soon anyway.'

The girl nodded, and shook his hand, before turning to give Iyla a hug. The young woman whispered in her ear, which caused Hayley to hold on just that little bit tighter, before releasing her and turning back to her parents.

And together, a family reunited once more, they turned and began to head down the street out of Camelot.

Iyla made her way over to him, taking his hand in hers, and resting her head on his shoulder.

They had said farewell to many slaves over the past few weeks, people who had become close friends of his, but this was the hardest goodbye. He'd spent so long protecting that little girl, for this moment. The moment that she could return home.

And as they disappeared into the throngs, Hayley stopping to look back one last time, Merlin raised his hand in farewell.

And as the small crowd in the courtyard slowly dispersed, Merlin remained there, and Iyla remained by his side. It was much later that the two of them finally stirred, making their way back into the castle.

Gwaine greeted them with a slap on the back, and a kiss to the hand. Merlin had given the rogue a threatening look, to which the Knight had merely grinned before departing. The couple were met with many grins and greetings as they made their way to the King's chambers for dinner with the royals.

Just before they entered, Merlin paused. Iyla glanced at him, before nodding knowingly and leaving him alone to collect his thoughts.

The Warlock turned, looking down the corridor towards the window, where he could see the light dying, bathing the hall in a red glow. The sun hit his face, warm and comforting, and he closed his eyes momentarily.

'Merlin!'

Merlin smiled gently, before allowing his eyes to flicker open. He took one more look at the window, before pushing open the door, faced with his King's scowling face, and Iyla's loving one.

And he knew that he was home.

**XxX**

**It's finished! *sob* Well, there's still the epilogue. And I think you can guess what that will contain...**

**So, please let me know what you think! There is a poll up about my next story; two options, one of which is what I thought 5x10 would be about, the other is the **_**sequel**_** to this story. But those won't be published until after my first lot of exams in early January. **

**Also, I'm currently in love with the musical Les Miserables, which has sort of taken over my life... The movie's out in January! **

**Please leave a review! I would love to know what you thought of the story. **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	26. Epilogue

**Oh my god, that Merlin episode was just... And when Arthur... And then Merlin... I can't wait another two days to find out what happens next! **

**So... This is the FINAL chapter! After this, there will be no more... Except when I post the notification that the sequel has been posted in January. So keep an eye out anyway. **

**And here it is. I used a scene from an episode in series 3 to write part of this chapter, but it didn't give me much detail, so I just ended up making it up towards the end... Sorry about that. Points for anyone that can name the episode I most likely used though. **

**Enjoy! **

**XxX**

_Epilogue_

Early morning sunlight filtered through the open window, bathing the room in a warm, yellow glow. Outside, the bell tolled the 9th hour, startling the occupant inside, who was sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, deep in thought.

Merlin stared at the window for a moment, before stretching, and standing up. He made his way across the room, and looked down at the courtyard.

Camelot was covered in a gentle, white blanket of snow. The mid-winter sun was just visible above the turrets, and the Warlock closed his eyes for a moment against the cool breeze that drifted into his room. Between himself and the group of sorcerers Arthur had employed, they'd kept citadel, and most of the lower town relatively warm, using wards set up around the edge of the citadel.

It had been three months since the ban on magic had been repealed; three months since he had proposed to Iyla; three months of his duties as First Advisor and Court Sorcerer of Camelot.

There had been a lot to take in at first. There had been several occasions where, at the beginning of a council meeting, Merlin had gone to stand in his usual spot behind the King, only to be grabbed by said King, and shoved into the seat at Arthur's right hand side.

But today wasn't about that.

With a deep sigh, Merlin turned away from the window, his gaze finding the set of fine robes that hung up by his changing screen.

A gift from the King.

A knock resounded around the chamber, jerking him out of his revere. 'Come in.' The door opened, causing Merlin to smirk. 'Since when does the King knock?'

Arthur rolled his eyes. 'I couldn't be sure about your state of dress. You do realise you're getting married in an hour?'

'Yes,' Merlin muttered, glancing back towards his robes.

Arthur frowned, walking over to the screen. 'You aren't having second thoughts are you? Gwen and your mother have been in with Iyla since the sun came up! I won't be held responsible for what they'll do to you!'

'What? No, of course not!' The Warlock took a step back from the King, turning away. 'But... marriage, Arthur. What if I let her down; if I can't be the husband she needs me to be?'

He stared at his friend. 'Is that what you're worried about?'

'Well, weren't you?'

The King shook his head. 'After everything Gwen and I had already been through... To be honest, the wedding was so soon after we retook Camelot, I didn't have time to think about that. I was just so relieved to have her back. But... listen to me, Merlin,' he put a hand on his friends shoulder, spinning him so he could make eye contact. 'You and Iyla were meant to be; even Kilgharrah says so. If it was going to go wrong, she would have returned to Yalding with her family. You have nothing to worry about. But, if it makes you feel any better,' he smiled. 'I heard Iyla having the exact same conversation with your mother on my way here.'

Merlin's eyes widened. 'She did?'

'Mmm hmm,' Arthur nodded.

'But she's perfect! I mean... there's nothing I can else I can. Iyla's just perfect.'

'Again, the exact same thing she said about you.'

'Why were you eavesdropping on my future wife?' Merlin snapped, taking Arthur by surprise.

He smirked. 'Because you're far too hard on yourself, Merlin. Why can't you just accept that there is a beautiful woman several corridors away who wants nothing more than to walk down that isle, and your wife, and spend the rest of her life with you?'

The Warlock let out a soft chuckle. 'You know me far too well,' he laughed, making his way over to the screen. 'Are you going to leave whilst I change?'

'You never used to.'

'That's because you couldn't dress yourself. Still can't, from what I here.'

And Merlin ducked behind the screen just as Arthur launched an empty goblet across the room that clattered against the wall just above his head. And he couldn't help but laugh more.

XxX

Merlin stood before Geoffrey of Monmouth, his mouth dry, and his heart racing, as he heard the chatter of the people behind him. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, but it felt like forever.

Where was she? Had something happened to her? Maybe he should go check...

And then he heard the sound of the doors opening, and the gasps the echoed around the hall. The Warlock raised his head and closed his eyes, ignoring Arthur's gestures from the sidelines that he should turn around and look at his bride. But he wouldn't. He wouldn't look until she was by his side, where he wanted her to be.

A hand touched his shoulder, and Merlin opened his eyes, taking in Iyla's appearance for the first time.

She truly was beautiful. Her deep brown eyes were sparkling, her lips were painted rouge, and her hair was elegantly braided around the back of her head, ending neatly in a bun at the base of her neck.

Iyla took his hands in hers, and they stood there, gazing at each other as Geoffrey began the ceremony. But he didn't hear what was said, until he heard his name.

'... Merlin Emrys, to become one with this woman?'

'It is,' Merlin smiled. Iyla beamed back at him, tears forming in her eyes.

'And is it your wish, Iyla, to become one with this man?'

'It is.' If her voice cracked slightly, he didn't notice. He was too lost in her beauty to notice much of anything.

And then Geoffrey was binding their hands together, and the rings were placed on their fingers, and then he was kissing her, but this time...

This time she was his wife.

And as they turned to face the audience, all of whom were on their feet, the power of hearing came rushing back to him, and he was hit by the deafening roar of the hall.

Iyla gripped his hand and laughed, as they raised their joined fists, before running down the aisle and through the doors, escaping into the outer chamber.

The doors closed behind them, and they paused to catch their breath, before Merlin swept Iyla into his arms, spinning her round, and kissing her deeply. She held onto him tightly, even after he'd returned her to the floor. 'Are you alright, my beautiful wife?' he whispered.

Iyla let out a relieved laugh. 'Yes. Yes, everything is wonderful,' she touched his cheek, running her thumb along the faint scar that remained there. 'My darling husband... I must admit, there were times when I thought that one of us wasn't going to make it. I thought that...'

'It doesn't matter now,' he hushed her, holding her close. 'We're together now, forever. That's all that matters today. This is our day,' he whispered. 'It's all over now.'

'No,' she shook her head, smiling softly up at him. 'It's only just beginning.'

XxX

The banquet started a little after noon, and was planned to continue well in to the night.

It started with Arthur making a speech. Merlin had initially dreaded it, when the King had risen to his feet, and had tried to shrink further into his chair in order to escape from sight.

'Merlin and I have been friends for nearly nine years now,' he began. 'And, for most of that, he's been the worst servant I could ever imagine.' Everyone laughed, and Merlin felt his cheeks flushing red. 'But he's also been the best friend I could ever imagine. And he's proven himself to be a rather competent sorcerer.'

The Knights all cheered raising the wine glasses, and Arthur held his hands up for silence.

'Three months ago, I met Iyla. By then, she was already the love of Merlin's life. And I could tell, when I met them, that they were meant to be. Despite all the hardships they'd faced, they'd only come out stronger for it all.'

He turned to the couple raising his own glass. 'Against All Odd, you two found each other. You two beat the odds, and returned home, to be united on this day, in this moment. And all I can do is wish you both the best of health, and the brightest future, because I can think of no one else, who deserves it more.

'To Merlin and Iyla!'

There was a loud cheer as everyone echoed his words. Merlin himself toasted his wife, entwining their arms before they took a sip.

It was then time to eat, and time to dance.

The newly-wed couple took to the floor, Iyla's simple, elegant dress sweeping around her, as she took Merlin's hands. 'Just relax,' she whispered.

Merlin answered her with a raised eye-brow.

The music struck up, and Merlin began to lead his wife around the dance floor. There was an instant surge in whistles and laughs from where the Knights of the Round Table sat, whilst Iyla looked at him in surprise. 'You can dance!'

He grinned. 'Well, I didn't want to embarrass you on your first public appearance with your new husband,' he grinned. She gave him a look, and he relented. 'Alright, so Gwen insisted I take lessons with her.'

Iyla laughed, as they continued to waltz around the floor. Eventually, other couples joined them, the King and Queen first, followed by others. The pace of the music changed, and soon, the celebrations were in full swing.

There was entertainment, well-wishers, and many tears from both Merlin and Iyla's mothers, as they offered the couple small tokens to aid them in their first steps into married life. It was mainly things to go in their new home, and Merlin had accepted them graciously, smiling with each new gift.

And as the sky grew dark, Merlin noticed that Iyla had disappeared. He quickly excused himself, leaving through a side exit, and heading up to the battlements.

Iyla was leaning on the wall, staring up at the moon, and shivering slightly in the cold, winter air.

'You'll catch a cold out here,' he called.

She laughed, without turning round. Merlin shrugged off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders.

'Are you alright?'

'Yeah,' Iyla shrugged. 'It was just really crowded in there. And warm. I needed some air.'

'Alright.'

They stood, side by side, staring up at the stars in silence.

And then she took his hand, and stepped in close, resting her head against his shoulder. Merlin smiled, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it gently.

'You know this is it, don't you?' he asked. 'You're stuck with me forever.'

Iyla turned to face him, tilting her head to the side. 'Really?'

He nodded. 'I'm afraid so.'

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down towards hers. 'I wouldn't have it any other way,' she whispered.

And as their lips met for maybe the twentieth time that day, Merlin allowed his mind to wonder.

He thought about the last nine months, and all the trials they had been through. About all the close calls, and the moments when they'd thought they wouldn't make it to their little cottage in a small field. From the horrors of slavery to the luxury of Camelot's walls, it really had been an incredible journey.

And as Iyla deepened the kiss, and Merlin wrapped his arms around her waist, he couldn't help but thinking that he was glad that they had defied the odds to be together.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

**XxX**

**And so... that's it. Fini. The end... **

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story, and to everyone who has been reading it from the beginning. It really means the world to me that so many of you have taken an interest in my writing, and I'm going to miss this story and your support so much. **

**Please, one last time, leave a review. We are 11 reviews away from 500, and that would really make my Christmas if I could get that many. **

**Thank you again, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! See you in the New Year! **

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


	27. AN - Sequel Posted

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed this story. **

**I know this is a bit late, and many of you are already aware of this, but I have begun to upload the sequel to this story, I'll Be. There are already six chapters up, and I'm hoping to get the seventh out as soon as possible. **

**Thank you all for your support during this story, and I hope to see you with the sequel!**

**TTFN  
Valkyriexx **


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